Light and Shadow, Day and Night
by Lord of the Tsurani
Summary: The tale of a God reawakening from his ages-old slumber to find the world of Eden changed and the descendants of His followers threatened by the Aztec Hordes. Now he must choose anew; to follow Good or Evil, Light or Shadow...
1. A God Awakens

Light and Shadow Day and Night

A Black and White Fanfiction

**A/N **_This is my first Black and White Fanfiction. It takes place during Black and White 2 but there will be references to Black and White. I haven't played Creature Isle or the expansion pack to B & W 2 and I never managed to complete the first game, though I think I did beat Lethys (It was a while ago) so I won't be able to reference the other game/expansion pack and the later levels of B & W will be based upon descriptions in walkthroughs. _

_In any case, I hope you enjoy this fanfic from the perspective of the newly reawakened God of Eden. If I get enough good reviews I'll continue this, after all I need to know people actually want me to continue!_

**_Disclaimer:_ I Don't and never will own Black and White or affiliated stuff. That belongs to Peter Moleneaux or whoever does own it. I'm writing this for my own enjoyment and (Hopefully) the enjoyment of my readers. I am not pofitting from this in any way. Except a bit of an ego boost if people like it ;)**

Key

**Bold Text:** Thoughts and mental communication

_Italics_: Dreams/Memories

_**Bold and Italics:**_ Overly Dramatic Emphasis

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><p><strong>Chapter One<br>****  
><strong>_A God Awakens_

_Once I was known by many names. Once beings smaller, weaker than I called me Lord and God and He Who Watches. I ruled over them and guided them…_

_But their faith in me waned._

_Time passed and I grew weaker. Once I would have been able to destroy a human with a mere thought, turn mountains to sand and summon forth flames from the sky to scour the land clean of all life._

_But as their faith dwindled I faded. Soon I was weaker than a newborn spirit. Unable to channel my will into the world. I watched as my existence turned to history and then to myth and then I became all but forgotten. _

_My Creature, the symbol of my power, the physical manifestation of my will, sickened and grew old…_

_My last memory before the Sleep overtook me was of my poor Isira begging me to stay awake… I could feel her fading with me… As I lost consciousness I saw her fall and I could feel the life ebb from her… The Last Creature of the Gods of Eden died as her God died…_

_It has been an eternity. I dreamed and yet I did not dream. I could feel time pass. I could feel the presence of The Others as they tended to the slumbering sparks of infant Gods._

_I waited. In that realm beyond the Universes I slumbered for an unending age and I waited. My dreams became restless. Cries and shouts filled my inner vision. I saw a mighty city burn and fall, its inhabitants slaughtered. I watched as again and again a vast horde of howling warriors conquered and raped and pillaged across whole Lands. I saw other races bow before them and accept their mastery…_

_All but one. _

_It was then that I knew. These were MY people. The descendants of those who had worshipped me as God and I was filled with the pride of a parent who watches his child grow to greatness; my people. Without me they had grown powerful, rich, I could see their great, shining cities, unrivalled in the entire world for their beauty and magnificence. I saw their wealth and strength of arms…_

_And I saw the greed and envy of others and I saw a shadow fall upon those glistening cities…_

_The other races, cowed and subservient to their new masters, brought my people to the attention of their conquerors. In their secret councils I heard them beguiling their lords with tales of the riches of my people and then of their power and how they threatened the dominance of their masters…_

_And so the shadow of the Aztecs fell upon the Greeks. I saw great armies clash on golden plains that became quagmires of blood and mud; I saw the wounded fall to be crushed underfoot or to drown in the noxious miasma beneath their feet. I saw the Aztecs attack the Geek cities as one by one the great walls fell and the mighty bastions crumbled. _

_I cried out with my people at the slaughter, I felt rage, sorrow, grief, emotions that I had not felt in countless ages, in such intensity that I could feel the concern and fear of The Others and the stirring of my fellow unborn deities. _

_It was then, as my dreams became tinged with the red of flame and blood, that I heard a voice cut through the roar of the flames and the armies descending upon my people. It was a woman and I could hear the fear, the sorrow, the desperation in her voice, _"Hear us! Hear my prayer! Help! Help us please! We pray for a God! We cry out to you O Great One! Help us!"

_A Pure Prayer. The one thing that can give birth to a new God._

_Or awaken one who sleeps…_

Consciousness burst forth upon me and I rose up from my place and great and terrible was my countenance and The Others quailed before my fury, I have been summoned. **No longer shall I bide here whilst my people suffer. Open the way now Guardians. I am awakened.**

I poured the full force of my will into those thoughts and sent them rippling across the ether. It was the force of a God. If I had been within one of the Mortal Universes whole worlds would have trembled and my voice would have rang from the furthest star. Despite the lack of physical reality to enhance my words with sufficient splendour, the sheer power of my will cowed the entities that existed before the Gods, who tended them as they slept and prevented them from entering the Mortal Universes without the summons of a Pure Prayer.

The Others opened the way and before me was spread Reality. I could see the infinite black orbs of the Mortal Universes suspended in the infinity of the ether. I could feel the pull of the prayer and I willed myself to follow its call. With the prayer ringing throughout my entire being I sped through the ether towards the Universe that I knew held the world of Eden, circling its parent star in one of its smaller galaxies.

Like a comet or a flaming arrow I pierced the inky blackness of the Universe's edge, easily sliding though the barrier between the Physical and Metaphysical; reality and Reality. I let the prayer pull me as I sped through the vast void between galaxies; I passed through supernovae and skirted blackholes. I brushed the atmospheres of several worlds, feeling the life that flourished upon them but knowing that these worlds had no need of a God. Once I was accosted by a minor Godling as I passed over his domain. Barely slowing I teleported him sixty light-years corewards into an exploding star. Whilst not fatal to a God, the experience would certainly leave him huddled over himself in a ball for the next six centuries in some dark corner of his Temple.

Soon I spotted the star around which Eden spun. I slowed so that I would not overshoot it and edged around the gravity-wells of the other planets, slingshotting around the sun so that I was on a direct course for the planet.

As I hit the atmosphere I felt a rush of euphoria. I was home! Despite the circumstances of my rebirth I exulted and revelled in the feeling of being back on this beautiful world. As I sped over the landscape I studied it with interest; a few of the minor islands had vanished and I noted that several of the tribes that had existed on my last sojourn here had vanished entirely. I shrugged off the feeling of sadness. There were still plenty of Humans on Eden. In fact there were actually more than when I was last here.

I slowed as I reached a land mostly inhabited by Egyptians. Despite the urgency of my summons I knew that I was out of practise with my godly skills and I had no wish to embarrass myself in front of my soon-to-be followers. After all how much good would I be against the Aztecs if I couldn't even toss a stone at a platoon or three?

I had slowed to a stop before a path leading to a small peninsular, the entrance flanked by two totem statues. For several seconds I simply hovered there, a large ball of light, vaguely wondering where my consciences where.

As if on cue a kindly looking sage-like old man sitting upon a cloud and a vaguely repulsive looking fat demon popped up over what would have been my shoulders if I were human, before either of them had a chance to speak I radiated my feelings of joy and pleasure to them, **Ah! It is a pleasure to see you two again! It appears that I am once again needed. **

"Greetings Leader!" Good, or as I liked to call him, Sage, enthused, "It does indeed. However before we go and reveal ourselves to the Greeks, I suggest that we reacquaint ourselves with Eden and find a Creature."

Evil, or Sin as I prefer, nodded, "Yeah Boss, let's go get a big monster that can crush things we don't like!"

Sage let out a long-suffering sigh, "You know I'd hoped the centuries would have made you less… Vulgar."

Sin shrugged, "Why? I'm Evil. I like burning, slashing, smiting, and wanton destruction. You're the boring one."

Before either of them could start to argue, as they usually did, I sped up the path towards a copse of trees, drawn by the presence of Divinity. Both Sage and Sin followed in my wake, bickering incessantly. I ignored them and stopped in front of a small gathering of Creatures, I frowned or I would have if I'd have been able to, **Creatures? Here? I thought the last of the Creatures had fled to Creature Isle.**

"Actually Leader, they have. However these individuals felt you awaken and were sent by the Creature Elders so that you would choose your own Creature from amongst them." Sage said, hovering to my right.

**Elders? I didn't know the Creatures had their own society!** I exclaimed in some surprise.

Sin replied before Sage could, "It has been a long time Boss. The Creatures had to band together in order to survive without the Gods. After you fell into the Sleep the Humans began to fear the Creatures that remained and began killing them. So the few that hadn't already gone to the Isle went there to hide. The Creatures cast miracles around the Isle in order to hide it from Humans, so many Creatures in one place without a God to guide them became very dangerous and fighting was common. The older and larger creatures formed a council with a member from each Creature Race."

I stayed silent for a few moments as I absorbed this information, **Hm, interesting… But it doesn't matter right now. I need to choose a Creature.**

I turned my sight upon the Creatures gathered before me; an Ape, a Lion, a Cow, and a Wolf. I noticed movement at the fringe of the trees and noticed two glittering pairs of eyes a few moments later a Tiger Creature appeared from within the trees. It stared at me warily.

I felt a pang of sadness as old memories resurfaced. I remembered a similar experience countless ages ago on another land. Facing a similar congregation of Creatures as a newborn God. I had only to glance at the group before and I had instantly known which one I would choose… My Isira… I felt my grief well up within me. She had been such a big part of me, as much as my Consciences were. She had been my Avatar, they had called her Isira the Fierce, Isira the Hand of the Mighty One, She Who Guides and Protects.

How could I replace her? She had been a part of my soul, the very essence of my being. It had been her death that had finally sent me into the Sleep. But she was gone. I had a duty as a God to find a new Creature, one that was strong and wise, one that would aid me in saving the Greeks and destroying the Aztecs.

I pushed aside a tumult of memories and emotions and gritted my metaphorical teeth. I would choose. No matter my feelings. She would want me to… I turned my attention back to the Creatures. They had sensed my emotions and had become agitated and restless. I allowed my consciousness to envelope each one in turn, drowning their anxiety in an aura of calm and reassurance. I would be unable to choose if a fight broke out.

As I touch the mind of each one I gauged their personalities, examined their memories, and generally tested them for their suitability to be my creature. As I touched the mind of the wolf I felt a jolt run though me. Its mind felt just like…

**Isira?** I asked tentatively, a wild hope flaring within me

The Wolf looked up at me, **No Lord, my name is Elessia of the Line of Isalir of the Shining Claws.**

The newborn hope died and the Wolf felt my crushing grief and sadness and whined, **Master, I feel your pain. Who was your Creature?**

**She was Isira her most common title was Isira the Moonsinger, **I replied, my thoughts darkened by that stupid, impossible wish.

The Wolf nodded to herself, **I have heard tales of the Moonsinger and her God. She was a great and mighty Creature. She is the one who slew the Creature of Nemesis and the Destroyer of the Black Temple. Her deeds are sung to the Moon every full-moonrise by all the Wolves. She has taken her place amongst the Great Ancestors of the Wolves. I am proud to count her amongst my lineage.**

I stared at the wolf in shock; **You are a descendant of Isira? Impossible! She never had children!**

The Wolf looked totally surprised, **Did you not know? She had a mate before she was chosen to be your Creature. She had several pups, all of whom became great Creatures. She never told you?**

I simply stared at the Wolf- at Elessia. How could I have not known? How could she not have told me? The Partner of my Mind and Heart a mother and I did not know?

Elessia had noticed my disturbed state and her thoughts were gentle and comforting, **She probably did not think it important. After all she was your Creature now. Her life before then was insignificant and unimportant compared to that bond. Do not be angry with her or think that she loved you any less my Lord. It is the way of Creatures.**

It was only then that I noticed that the other creatures had crept away, leaving me alone with Elessia. I suddenly realised that I had made my choice without realising it. I turned my gaze back upon Elessia, **Yes, you are right. Come now Elessia. You are My Creature now and forever. Partner of My Heart and Instrument of My Will. You are My Avatar and the Manifestation of My Divine Power. **

Elessia's eyes widened and she bowed before me, **I am honoured Great Lord. I shall strive to match the example of my exalted predecessor and act as she would have acted so that when my deeds are recounted her own shall be also and shall be revered all the more!**

**Well-said Elessia. **I said approvingly,** Now then, shall we go out into this Land so that I may reacquaint myself with my Divinity?**

Elessia inclined her head in agreement and together we made our way back to the main island.

As soon as I arrived at the mountain that dominated the centre of the landmass I felt a stirring within me, concentrating upon that feeling I head the voice of a male crying out in frustration and desperation. My first prayer. "My life is in ruins! A huge boulder has rolled onto my lovely garden and it's too big and heavy to move! If ever a man needed a God, I'm him! Please help me Mighty One!"

I focused my will upon the prayer and I materialised before the offending stone. I stared at it. That was a very impressive piece of rock. It dwarfed the man and the hut he dwelled in. Elessia loped towards me, but stopped out of sight of the mortal. I don't think a giant wolf would have brightened his day much.

Sage and Sin materialised at my sides and began to expound their views on the topic of the supplicant's dilemma. Sage's view was pretty obvious, "Move the boulder for him Leader, it would make him so happy and you would gain a follower."

Sin was also his typical destructive self. "How dare he ask US to move a boulder for him! I say we teach him a lesson! We'll move that boulder all right! Smash his house with it, then squish that impudent mortal!" He growled ferociously. He seemed genuinely offended that I was being asked to move a large rock.

I contemplated what I would do. This minor prayer was my first step towards either Good or Evil. Should I help the people of Eden, even those not of my people or should I destroy all who stand before me and dare to ask for my divine attention in order to solve their petty problems?

I remembered my past life. I had been a 'Good' God. I had aided all those who sought it, protected those who worshipped me and provided succour to those who did not in the hopes of turning them to my cause. Some times I had grown wrathful and had called down divine fury upon offending villages, but that had been during stressful times… Like when Lethys had kidnapped my Isira, when her anguished howls had filled my mind with rage and pain and my vision had been clouded by a lust for vengeance and the blood of Lethys and all who worshipped him.

But despite my general benevolence, providing food and water to those who had none, healingthe sick and injured and promoted peace and trade throughout my Lands… The people had turned from me. They had rejected my love in favour of scorn and lethargy. They reaped my bounties and grew arrogant on their prosperity. They abused my love and gave me nothing but grief and pain.

Because of them I had sickened and become enfeebled. Because of them my power had withered and my Temple had fallen into ruin. Because of them my Isira, the one whom I had loved most of all who had been such a huge part of my existence, had perished. They had killed her. THEY had ripped my heart from me and threw it in my face. Now I had the chance to punish them for their arrogance and their cruelty.

Both my consciences felt my shift in mood. Sage's face clouded with concern and worry whilst Sin rubbed his clawed hands together with glee and a cruel smile spread across his demonic face. It was then that I felt Elessia touch my mind gently and her thoughts suffuse my own, **Would she want you to do this?** She asked silently, **Would Isira cry out for blood and vengeance upon the thousand-times grandchild of those who wronged you? **The questions hit me like hammer blows, triggering the memory of when I had finally freed Isira from Lethys' clutches and crushed that pathetic excuse for a Divinity.

_She had looked over the carnage of my divine rampage; the burning villages, the ruined temple, the craters were entire settlements had once been, the red-tinged sky and the dark, spike-studded Temple that stood brooding over my town radiating malevolence in palpable waves. Isira had scolded me and chastised me for days on end, constantly shaming me every time I dared venture into her presence. Even though I was a God I quailed before her fury and the burning shame within my own heart. I had done all I could to appease her and to rebuild the Land shattered by my anger. It had taken several months but eventually I had rebuilt what I had destroyed, healed those I had maimed and earned her forgiveness. Never again did I allow my emotions to blind me to my actions._

I realised that Elessia was right. Isira would have been ashamed to see me like this. I would not allow my pain to change me. It wouldn't be easy to forgive the mortals; despite the fact that millennia had passed in Eden thanks to the Sleep the memories were as fresh as if they had only occurred the day before. Perhaps I would never completely forgive them, but neither would I punish them for the wrongs of their ancestors.

I turned my attention to the boulder and with a flexing of my will I picked it up with my mind and hurled it across the island and into the sea. The stunned mortal stared at his garden for several seconds; to him the rock had simply hurled itself aside of its own will, but he soon recovered and jumped up into the air shouting in joy and praising whatever God had moved the stone. Sage sat upon his cloud beaming, his face filled with relief whilst Sin was grumbling sourly, shooting dirty looks at both the mortal and my Good Conscience.

Elessia came out of the trees where she had hidden and bowed before me, **You truly are the God of Isira.**

I allowed her to feel my gratitude, **Thank you Elessia. Your wise counsel prevented me from becoming something I would have eternally regretted. You truly are a worthy successor to Isira.** I could feel her pride and pleasure at the compliment as she inclined her head in acknowledgement.

Over the next two hours I answered the prayers of a group of lost Nomads and had found two Egyptians fretting over a blocked waterfall. Despite being at a loss in figuring out why exactly it was a disaster I helped them out anyway and was pleased by their relief and happiness. At least it was a good chance to practice throwing large boulders, a skill that would come in handy when I finally met with the Aztecs on the field of battle.

Finally I was ready to make my grand entrance in the Geek capital. I knew that it was their last major settlement still free of Aztec rule and I knew that soon they would mount an assault, but I hoped that I would arrive in time to aid in the city's defence. I was confident that with my aid the Greek Capital would hold. It would become a bastion of my power from which I could strike against the Aztec Empire. Thus it was with anticipation and self-assurance that I opened myself to the Pure Prayer again and let it guide me towards the mighty Geek City of Athera…

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><p><em><strong>AN **So, the first chapter's done. I hope it meets with your approval! As always, I hope your Read and Review! But most importantly I hope you enjoy the story!_


	2. The Fall of Athera and The Rise of a God

**A/N** _Okay, so here's Chapter Two of my fanfiction. Since I'm replaying B & W 2 right now I'll probably be writing these chapters as I complete Lands as well as from memory from earlier play-throughs. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I also apologise for the long wait for this fic too; my fault for updating when I had nealy non-existent internet access._

**_Key_**

**Bold Text:** Thoughts and mental communication

_Italics_: Dreams/Memories

**Bold and Italics****:** Overly Dramatic Emphasis

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

The Fall of Athera and the Rise of a God

I was flying as fast as I could across the sparkling sapphire blue ocean, my course unerringly set towards the source of the Pure Prayer in the last of the great Greek cities. Athera the Jewel of Eden.

Even though my Consciences were a part of my soul, they seemed to have instinctive knowledge of the world that I, having slept over the ages, did not possess. As fast as possible Sage was trying to fill me in on the basics of Eden's history since the end of the War of the Gods and the beginning of my long Sleep.

"It was shortly after the end of the Fourth War of Kings that King Saristes the Magnificent of Athera managed to bring together all of the various Kings and Princes of the other Greek city-states in the Third Conclave that the Greek Cities finally managed to unify under one rule. Through a mixture of raw military power, economic dominance and masterful diplomacy Saristes convinced, or forced, the other rulers to name him King of All Greeks. He formed the Royal Conclave as an advisory body formed of the rulers of the various Greek cities and-"

"Who cares?" Sin interrupted rudely, "So some King beat other Kings and became a bigger King, what's that got to do with us?"

"Well the God of the Greeks should know-" Sage began before again being interrupted.

"He's a God! He doesn't need to know all this! If someone brings up the fact that he doesn't know about some old dead guy then he can just smite them!" Sin said, a vicious grin on his face, "In fact maybe he can smite whoever's in charge now! Make it clear that he's the Boss now!"

I allowed their incessant chatter to wash over me, unheeded. It was therapeutic in a way. Bringing back amusing memories of my bickering advisors during my glory days… Sage interrupted my pleasant reverie, "Leader? Hello? Leader? We're coming up to the Greek Capital Island. Athera is just over this next ri- oh my" His amazed intake of breath caused me to pay more attention. The sight that greeted me caused me to stop in midair to stare at the awesome sight.

I was hovering over a ridge that ran near the coast, before me was spread a vast city filled with buildings of marble, wood and gold, countless mortals walked though the city streets all dressed in robes o tunics in a variety of vibrant hues. I saw columns, fountains, markets, homes, palaces and temples. Further on I saw a long, tall wall marking the verge of this section of the city, but I noticed that the city continued on another peninsular towards the west. I, a God who had traversed the Universe and seen all the wonders within it, was awestruck by the vastness of this settlement and the clear evidence of a sophisticated culture and ample wealth. Suddenly I felt the pull of the Pure Prayer again, far stronger this time. I pulled my gaze from the magnificent city and turned it to a temple, far larger than all the others, which stood near the centre of the city on a large hill. Near it was a very grand structure, which I assumed to be either the Royal Palace or the Halls of the Conclave. Possibly both. I allowed the prayer to pull me towards the temple.

I noted the large dome, the graceful columns, the vines and plants growing upon some of the walls and beautiful statues that flanked the sides of the wide steps, there were some in the exact centre of the steps splitting it into two separate stairways. The statues were made of various materials; bronze, gold, marble, some held bowls from which poured forth water. As I entered the temple I noticed that the main chamber was made of marble with veins of gold and gems running through the stone. At the centre there was an altar, also made of the spectacular gem-veined marble. A shaft of light from the oculus at the summit of the dome fell upon the altar bathing it in a golden glow causing the veins to shine in bright hues of a thousand colours, refracting the light across the temple walls where friezes and masterful paintings depicted mythological scenes. Some I recognised, such as my battles with Nemesis and Lethys or the Death of Khazar, but others I did not. Idly I wondered if they were stories added to my religion by the ages or some kind of prophecy. Behind the altar was a colossal statue of a Wolf Creature, holding a bowl in each paw, in one there was a fountain of water and in the other a flame leaped and danced.

Prostrated before the altar was a beautiful young woman clad in a flowing white gown with gold trim around the hem, the waist and the sleeves. It was from her that the Pure Payer had come. I could feel it in my essence. I could hear her prayers; they rang like bells, pure, clear notes that resonated with my entire being. It was then that I decided to reveal my presence. I concentrated hard, building up an image in my mind; a tall man of about seven feet in height, with medium length brown hair and piercing grey eyes and clad in a simple white tunic with gold trim similar to her's. I poured my essence into the image and felt the body form around me. I made a few minor adjustments and adopted a kind, friendly expression, allowing my slightly tanned skin to emanate a soft, subtle glow. Happy with my appearance I gently touched the woman's shoulder, "You have called and I have answered. Rise my loyal servant and look upon thy God." I was very pleased with the voice. It was soft, gentle and yet it held a tone of power; a voice of command. I thought it would be a nice touch.

The woman gasped and turned around, her glittering blue eyes met mine, I watched them widen in shock and surprise. She stayed prostrate and lowered her face, not daring to look upon me, "O my God! I am Danae, Priestess of Your great temple. I ask that You are merciful unto Your faithful followers and that You grant us Your Divine Power and aid us to defeat the vile and brutal Aztecs."

I touched her chin and raised her face so that she would look at me, "Rise Danae" I said to her gently, "Your prayer has awoken me from my Sleep. I shall grant my people my aid. I shall chastise the Aztecs for their arrogance and their cruelty. My people shall suffer no longer. You shall attend me as I meet with your King so that I may learn how I might best aid in the defence of this great city."

She rose to her feet and nodded, "As you wish Mighty One. I shall take you to King Lycomedes. But I beg you to act swiftly for the Aztecs are even now marching upon this city and we have but few warriors left to defend ourselves with. All others have perished before the Aztec horde."

I frowned slightly. I did not know that the situation was this bad. "How many Aztecs have come against us?"

She shook her head, "We know not, Lord, our scouts say that their fleet darkens the ocean for as far as the eye can see and that their soldiers come against us in numbers beyond counting. Certainly there are many thousands of them." A look of fear flashed across her face, "They say the Aztec Creature, an Ape gifted with unholy magics, travels with them also."

"How many soldiers defend this city?" I asked, dread suddenly constricting my chest.

"No more than seven hundred Lord. Far too few to defend this city without the aid of a God!" She answered, looking at me hopefully.

In my state, still without my full power and with the memory of only a few miracles, I doubted I would be able to defend the city with so few and against so many.

"This news troubles me greatly. I fear that even I will not be able to save Athera from its fate. I shall do what I can but the citizenry must evacuate!" I said sadly.

Danae stared at me in horror, "But there are many thousands of us in this city! There is no time! Many will die!"

"I will buy you as much time as possible and provide a means of escape. Go now! Tell whomever you meet to flee into the white lights that will appear around this city. They are portals that will take them to safety."

"But Lord-" She began, but I cut her off.

"I am sorry Danae, but I am newly awakened and I am still weakened by my Sleep. At my full power I would have swept aside these Aztecs with ease, but not now. In time, with the faith of my people, I shall grow strong again. For now you must flee this place, one day we shall return and drive the Aztecs from this city and destroy them. This is my promise to all those faithful to me. Vengeance will be ours." I allowed sorrow to leak into my voice. It saddened me to know that I would not be able to save this magnificent city and to know that so many of my people were destined to die. That I would once again fail to save all those who relied upon me for protection. I had long ago lost count of the hundreds of thousands of mortals that had perished in agony during the War of the Gods. My followers, other innocents who had no god, and worshippers of Nemesis, Lethys and Khazar, no matter their allegiance they always died.

Danae lowered her eyes ad bowed her head, "As you command my Lord"

As she left I allowed my human body to fade, to anyone watching it would have seemed as if light had burst from my skin, the male form blurring into nothingness until I was again in my symbol-form, invisible to mortal view.

I floated upwards through the oculus at the summit of my temple and surveyed the city; in the distance beyond the walls I could faintly see a winding snake of flickering lights. The Aztecs were approaching. I concentrated hard and stretched forth my will; my spirit flew in all directions across Eden until I found a refuge for my people. A small island west of the Norse Homelands inhabited by only a few small villages with very few warriors. It would do. I recalled myself to Athera and, without slowing to rest myself, I began systematically punching holes in reality, tunnels through the Ether beyond the Universe allowing near-instantaneous travel to the land I had chosen as our destination.

As the swirling portals of light appeared across Athera I could feel the shock, fear, surprise and wonder of its inhabitants. I felt their faith in me increase as they realised that only a God could create such portals, I wasted no time and allowed my voice to penetrate into the mortal world, my words ringing from all around whilst they also penetrated the minds of the terrified citizens.

"**I am Kyrel, thy Lord and God. I have awakened to answer the plight of My People in their darkest hour. I have opened portals to a new Land within the city, a place free of Aztecs, a place of safety and sanctuary. Go into the portals and be safe. I shall hold the Aztecs at bay for as long as I can." **

I could feel the awe and fear of my people as one by one their tiny fragile minds, burning with hopes and fears vanished as they stepped into the lights. I turned my gaze in the direction of the Aztec army; I could feel their hatred for my people, their lust for fire and blood. They were mere minutes away from the outer walls of Athera where the last of the Greek archers were stationed along with ballistae and catapults. I could feel the fear of my soldiers, but also their iron determination. They knew they would die but they were determined to die well. For every brother that died, for every inch of ground lost, they would incur grievous losses upon the Aztecs.

I brushed the minds of my soldiers and let them feel my pride, letting them know that their sacrifice would not be in vain. I felt them take heart in my presence. I knew that now they would fight with renewed vigour and that they would sell their lives dearly.

Sage and Sin appeared before me, both of them looking slightly intimidated by the sight of the Aztec Amy; their warriors had stopped just out of bow range from the city walls. They were dressed in toughened cotton armour and carried sword-clubs with large chunks of obsidian and stone sticking out of the heads. Each of them was decked out in savage finery; the pelts of jaguars, the feathers of eagles. These were the elite troops of the Aztec Empire. I tried to count their numbers but I soon realised that even I would be unable to count them. I could feel their minds, blazing with hatred and the lust for war, slaves and Greek wealth.

From amongst the massed ranks of the Aztecs a large man, wearing magnificent jewellery made of gold and silver and many feathers that were as vibrant as jewels, approached the walls of Athera. **An envoy come to accept our surrender **I noted to no one in particular.

Despite the distance I could clearly see the arrogant sneer on the Aztec's face as he began his speech, "I am Tlazopilli, a messenger of the Divine Emperor Achcauhtl. My noble and merciful lord has commanded that I give the Greeks of Athera a last chance at survival. Throw open your gates and the lives of your women and children shall be spared. I warn you however, if you refuse this most generous offer then my emperor has commanded that all Greeks shall be put to the sword, your city shall be cast down and burned until there is not a stone still standing. Your treasures shall be taken and your women defiled, your children sacrificed to the glory of the Emperor and your men burned alive!"

Both Sage and Sin began shouting in rage and horror, mirroring my own emotions. I could feel the anger of the few soldiers on the walls radiating from them in waves. I was certain that even the pompous Tlazopilli would feel the sheer malevolence radiating from the top of the walls. "That monster! We must try our best to stop him and his Aztecs from entering Athera!" Sage cried out.

"Boss, you still remember how to cast fire and lightning? I saw we burn that Aztec scumbag alive and roast his army to cinders!" Sin snarled angrily.

"For once I agree with him, Leader, show these Aztecs who the God is around here! Divine Emperor indeed!" Sage said, glaring at the Aztecs.

I agreed wholeheartedly and let my voice roll down upon the Aztecs like thunder, the very ground reverberating with anger, "**I am Kyrel, God of All Greeks. Destroyer of Nemesis, Slayer of Lethys, It was I who forged anew the Creed and used its power to end the War of the Gods. I am the Last God of Eden. I have slain beings far mightier than your Emperor, I have torn down mountains and boiled seas. I have scorched entire cities from the earth with fire and shattered the very essence of Gods with lightning. I fear no one and I bow before no one. The Greeks are My Beloved People and it shall be the Aztecs who are slain and it shall be your Emperor who bows before me begging for my mercy! Leave Athera in peace and never return lest you summon my wrath upon yourselves!"**

With vicious pleasure I noted that Tlazopilli's face had gone pale and many of the Aztec soldiers were moaning in terror. However, just as it seemed that my threat would work and they would flee Athera, a terrible roar sprang up from the rear of the Aztec army. The ground shook and I could hear the loud thumps of a massive Creature. Suddenly the Aztecs drew renewed courage and began jeering towards the walls. Even Tlazopilli seemed to regain his haughty demeanour, "God or no God, the Aztecs care little for the petty tricks of the Greeks. We hear only an illusion; a lie conjured by cowards too afraid to fight. Behold! Tlanextli the Creature of the Aztecs, the mightiest of all the beasts in the world! He shall tear down your walls and feast upon your flesh!"

The army parted and I could see a titanic Ape Creature, it pounded its chest which was covered in coarse orange hair, it snarled and I noted glittering yellow fangs and a burning hatred within its black eyes. This monster hated all things living and revelled in battle and blood. The massive beast lumbered towards the great gates of Athera, which, despite dwarfing any other set of gates I had ever seen, seemed to be a poor barrier against the brute strength of Tlanextli.

I looked down and saw the fear in the eyes of my archers. I didn't blame them. I was terrified as well. Sin stared in a mixture of terror and envy at the Creature, "Now THAT's an Evil Creature!" He exclaimed, "Boss, I think maybe it's time for a little divine intervention, know what I'm saying?"

**I couldn't agree more, Sin. **I replied to my Evil side, and then I projected my thoughts to the archers, **Open fire on that Creature! Fill it with arrows, but stay away from the gates! **Then I began issuing orders to the crews of the catapults and ballistae, **Fire upon the Creature! Do not let it breach the walls!** Almost instantly a hundred arrows left the bows of my archers with a resounding twang and buried themselves in the thick hide of the Ape. It grunted but the arrows didn't seem to bother it much. Several seconds later louder twangs could be heard as massive bolts of wood and metal slammed into the creature, the ballistae vibrating from the power of their shots, creaking and a loud thump heralded the firing of the catapults as large stones smashed into the Ape. It roared in agony, pulling the javelins from its hide and tossing them back at the ballistae. I heard men scream and wood shatter as the bolts hit home, smashing the siege engines. It grunted in satisfaction and turned back to the walls where my archers were preparing a second volley. As it swung at the wall, smashing the wall top and sending several archers screaming into space, the Aztecs let out a roar and their archers loosed a storm of arrows at my archers. Before the arrows got halfway to the wall I flexed my will and a wall of fire materialised before the arrows, incinerating them. The Creature stared at the flames and howled in rage and began pounding on the gates.

I noticed that the gates were beginning to buckle so I started hurling lighting at the behemoth but, whilst the searing electricity certainly slowed it down, it seemed to battle through the agony and soon the gates were smashed from their hinges. I sent a quick mental command to the archers, **Retreat! Abandon the walls! Retreat to the Great Temple!** I watched my archers running down the stairs and through the streets of Athera as I watched the Ape lumber through the breach in the wall, Aztec soldiers streaming between its legs. The Aztecs had entered Athera and I could see them hunting down my soldiers and slaughtering indiscriminately amongst the unarmed civilians.

I sent a mental signal to the swordsmen platoons spaced around the city, **The outer walls have been breached! Protect the civilians retreating into the portals! Hold them off as long as you can! **I felt the soldiers scramble to their defensive positions, but I soon realised that the Aztecs were overwhelming the blockades so I switched to a new plan, **Retreat to the Great Temple with the archers, gather as many civilians there as you can!**

As the Aztecs overwhelmed more and more sections of the city I was forced to close more and more of the portals I had placed throughout the city. I felt the hopeless terror of countless thousands as they watched the portals vanish before them, shortly before howling Aztec warriors butchered them. As I raced towards the Temple I noticed a group of Aztec archers that had ascended the outer wall and were shooting down into a milling crowd of civilians attempting to reach a portal. I summoned my will and smashed several houses, clearing a larger path, before hurling the debris at the archers on the walls. I savoured the look of utter surprise on their faces before wood and stone crushed them. It wasn't long before the rest of the Aztec army arrived and I was forced to close this portal too, I had to force myself to look away from the carnage, but I could still hear the anguished cries of the helpless Greeks as the Aztecs fell upon them.

Further into the city I noticed that the Aztecs were standing by a pile of barrels that they had pushed on their sides at the top of the hill just behind a portal. The civilians couldn't see them because of the portal's glow and before I could warn them the Aztecs pushed the barrels. I watched helplessly as the barrels crushed scores of Greeks. Sadly I closed the portal before the Aztecs could enter it, trying to ignore the pitiful whimpers of the injured and dying.

It was then that I noticed an odd sense of unease settle upon me and I felt an odd tug within my essence. I recognised this as the feeling I once had when another God had performed a miracle… Or their Creature. My metaphorical eyes widened and I cast about to spot the source of the miracle when I noticed an oddly shaped shadow on the face of a large mountain that overlooked this section of Athera. With mounting dread I realised that it was Tlanextli. Before I could figure out what he was doing, and more importantly how to stop him, I felt a massive shudder run through the earth, the ground howled in agony and a massive section of the city was completely destroyed as a mountain rose beneath it. I stared in horror and disbelief. Only a God, and even then only a few of the mightiest of Gods, could have achieved such a miracle!

And then it got worse.

The peak of the mountain exploded into fire and lava, balls of fire fell across the entire peninsular and black smoke and ash poured into the sky. He had summoned a volcano! Despite my shock and horror I was still thinking clearly enough to seal the last of the portals in this part of the city. I could feel my people – both civilian and soldier – perish in droves as the Aztecs slaughtered them or else they were crushed by falling buildings or incinerated by balls of fire and streams of lava. I turned my attention towards the other peninsular where the last of my civilians and soldiers were gathered before the Great Temple.

Once I arrived at the temple I noticed that the last of my soldiers had erected a barricade and were valiantly holding off wave after wave of Aztec troops. The swordsmen slashing and hacking with grim determination despite their exhaustion whilst the archers were emptying the last arrows from their quivers into the ranks of the Aztecs.

I touched the mind of the leader of the defenders, **Are the civilians safe? **I asked curtly.

His eyes widened and he glanced around, he didn't see me but he knew I was watching and he quickly threw a salute, "Most of them are through. The last group is evacuating now; the King, a few of his advisors and the last of the priests and priestesses of Your Faith, lord"

I filled his mind with a sense of approval, **Good work. You have discharged your duty with great skill and honour. Tell your men to retreat into the portal. I shall hold off the Aztecs until you are safely through. I shall have need of men of your calibre in the months to come.** On impulse I added, **The priestess Danae, the one who summoned me, has she escaped?**

The soldier shook his head, "No lord, she refuses to leave until the last of the civilians are through the portal."

**I see. Thank you. Order your troops to withdraw and tell Danae that I command her to enter that portal. Athera may have fallen but the Greeks are undefeated!**

As the troops abandoned the barricade I turned my attention to the Aztecs. I noticed that just behind the barricade there were bales of hay that they must have been using to slow the Aztec advance. An idea occurred to me. One that summoned Sin to my side. The little demon grinned malevolently, rubbing his clawed hands together in delight, "Boss, that is a brilliant idea! Set fire to those hay bales and send them rolling into the Aztecs!" He chortled, "I can't wait to see their faces!"

It was a simple matter to set the bales alight and send them hurtling through the barricade and down the hill into the Aztecs charging towards my last temple. I felt a wild rush of exhilaration and euphoria as their agonised screams reached my ears. I had not felt such pleasure at the pain and death of others since I had slaughtered the followers of Lethys. These humans would pay dearly for their attacks upon my people. Sin gave me a surprised look and nodded in agreement, "I knew you had it in you Boss!" He said, "Just remember; these guys want to kill your followers and given the chance they'd torture and kill your creature, just like Lethys tortured Isira!"

His comment lit a spark of anger within me. How dare these worthless mortals challenge my power? Kill my people? Burn my city?

Sin grinned cruelly as he felt me begin to shift in alignment, sinking further towards Evil as I began to throw lightning and fire at the shattered remnants of the Aztec platoons.

I was shaken out of my blood-haze by the sudden sensation of a miracle being cast; I looked towards its source and noticed Tlanextli. This time I knew what he was up to, but I also knew I couldn't stop him. As the ground began to scream in renewed agony the mountainous form of a volcano began to grow beneath me, shattering my temple and destroying the Royal Palace. I soon realised that Athera was lost. There was nothing more for me here. The red mists cleared from my mind and I allowed the lightning and fire pouring from the sky to die out. I turned my attention northwards, to the Land where my people had taken refuge. Behind me I could hear the screams of the dying and the triumphant roar of the Aztec Creature.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** _Blasted Aztecs! Well, at least the Greeks have survived and I'm sure the Aztecs will get their comeuppance, eventually. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be updating this ever second Monday, so keep an eye out! I want to thank all of you who put this in you favourites or on story alert; so far the only one of my stories that people have done this for, then again this is only my second one. Also, I hope you enjoy my new chapter in Love and Calamity Topaz Dragon!_


	3. Chapter 3 From The Ashes

_**A/N **I want to apologise about the long gap between chapters, but as I said in my profile I wanted to finish my other story, Love and Calamity, before continuing this one. I just found writing two stories simultaneously without the aid of a few buffer chapters too much. Unfortunately I've been concentrating mostly on Love and Calamity up until now, so I only have this chapter ready for posting. I'm going to try and write a few chapters ahead and build up a buffer so you guys won't have to wait too long between updates._

_I'll be answering reviews at the end of the chapter._

_This chapter will feature the first POV shift from Kyrel to another character, the priestess Danae, these sections will be marked by paragraphs separated by lines. Obviously this chapter explores the aftermath of Athera's destruction and the fortunes of the survivors sheltering in the ruins of a long-abandoned Greek colony._

**Chapter Three**

From the Ashes…

It was not long before I arrived at the Land where the remnants of my people had taken refuge. I quickly found them huddled together in the ruins of an old Greek settlement. Sage appeared before me, "Look Leader! Our people are safe and have exited the portal!"

"Yeah, these guys made it, but just think about how many got toasted by those volcanoes!" Sin interjected as he appeared in a noxious cloud of sulphur and brimstone.

The remark took Sage like a hammer blow and he looked crestfallen, I realised that the deaths of so many of our followers had hit him hard, **Do not be saddened Sage, we survived and we shall grow strong again. The arrogance of our enemies has always been the key to our victories. We have faced such situations before; remember when Nemesis destroyed the village of Drenmagh? We survived and we eventually destroyed him. These Aztecs are powerful, that is true, but even they pale in comparison to Nemesis.**

"Yeah, but we only survived thanks to Khazar!" Sin replied, "This time we're on our own!"

I replied with cold determination, **We are older now. I am not some newborn Godling still unaware of my power. I am a full-fledged God of Eden! **

I turned my attention from my advisors to my villagers. Sage looked around, "Looks like the ruins of an old Greek colony. It must be the city of Corinth! It was destroyed during the last war between the Greeks and the Norse."

I ignored Sage and examined the ruins. The storehouse seemed to be in good shape and the central plaza was fairly clear of debris. I noticed a large structure near the southern end of the town where Elessia lay curled up, asleep. **Probably what's left of the amphitheatre** I mused. I turned away and sought out the mind of Danae. I quickly located her in the ruin of a large house. As I flew towards the home I began to reconstruct my chosen human form in my mind. By the time I reached the house I had a full image in my mind and was pouring myself into the body. I steadied myself against a half-fallen wall; I was still unused to corporeal existence and I had not yet found my balance.

I stepped through the empty portal of what was once a door and into the main room of the decaying house I noticed that Danae was tending to an injured child, who lay on a pile of straw. The young boy was pale and he had bandages around his right arm and his torso. Danae had not yet noticed my presence so I took the opportunity to examine the woman that had summoned me to Eden. She was murmuring softly to the barely conscious child, her tone gentle and reassuring as she applied a poultice to his brow. It amazed me to see that a woman like Danae, who had shown such fire and steel within herself at Athera, could also be so gentle and compassionate. Her long black hair was tied into a simple braid and her skin was pale, almost luminous, and her face was completely flawless. I realised that mortals would consider her to be a rare beauty and I briefly wondered why she had become a priestess when she could have had any man she wished as husband, and all the station and wealth that implied.

I felt myself come to a decision and reached over to touch her shoulder, "Danae, come away from the child"

She looked up at me in surprise. As soon as she realised that it was her God who had addressed her she bowed her head, "My lord! Why are you here?"

"I am seeing to the needs of my people. Move aside priestess. I shall tend to the child." I moved her away gently before turning to the child. I knelt by his side and placed my hands upon his brow and chest and closed my eyes, I heard Sage murmur into my ear, reminding me of how to perform a healing miracle. I thanked him quietly, forgetting that I was in human form and therefore speaking aloud. Before Danae could ask whom I was talking to I heard her gasp as my hands began to glow. The light flowed from my hands and into the child, surrounding him in a nimbus of gently pulsating light. One by one I healed broken bones and severed arteries, repaired damaged tissue and caused muscle and skin to weave back together. The light sank into his skin and I let out a breath I had not realised I was holding and rose to my feet, "The child is healed. He shall awaken shortly."

Danae's eyes widened and she bowed her head to me again, "Thank you lord."

I smiled faintly and turned to her, "Danae, you summoned me to Eden. That required a powerful belief in me and a purity of purpose and strength of will that is rare in gods and even rarer in mortals. I would have you as the High Priestess of my Faith, the Lady of my Temples. You shall be my representative to my people just as my Creature is the symbol of my power. What say you?"

Danae bowed deeply to me, her voice wavering slightly, "It would be my deepest honour, Great One."

"Good" I smiled broadly, "Come, this child shall be fine, I wish you to attend to me as I aid my people in rebuilding this town. They have suffered greatly and I would ease their pain."

She inclined her head to me and led me back outside, she looked about at the ruins and shook her head sadly, "We have fled with very few possessions. We have no food, wood, ore or water nor do we have fires for warmth or shelter. However there are several fields in this city, overgrown perhaps, but still bearing grain. We have also sent out hunting parties to find deer or some other source of meat. Great One, your people beg that you aid us in rebuilding this town. Our first priority is to replant the fields and rebuild some of these houses."

I nodded, frowning slightly, "There is an ore mine to the north and a plentiful forest to the south and west." I closed my eyes and felt for the minds of my people. I selected ten and began whispering into their minds. Each would gain a sudden divine insight and begin working on a job that they felt drawn towards. Five went to work felling trees and shaping them into planks whilst another five went in search of ore bearing stones to mine. I opened my eyes and nodded to myself, "I have created my first Disciples. They shall seek out stone and ore and wood and send it to the storehouse. Take me to the fields Danae."

It took us ten minutes to reach the overgrown fields filled with weeds and wheat. I examined the soil and the plants and smiled, "This is excellent soil, very fertile. But it requires constant tending…" I once more sent my mind into the town and began whispering into the minds of my followers, before long three men and two women, each with a smile of pure contentment and the glimmer of religious fervour in their eyes, came rushing to the field and began pulling up weeds and gathering the wheat. Danae smiled and nodded, "You are very experienced at this aren't you my lord?"

I nodded, "Yes. I grew quite skilled at rebuilding the lives of my followers after Nemesis destroyed the village that had summoned me to Eden for the first time… Of course at the time I had the aid of another God."

"Khazar? The old legends speak of him." She said softly, "A powerful and good God."

"And a good friend and teacher." I said, turning away from the field, "Come, we still have much work to do. The people require homes and water as much as they do food and wood."

**He was so sad when I mentioned Khazar** I thought to myself **It seems that He still mourns His teacher even after all this time. If I am to be His High Priestess I should lean all I can about Him**_._

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Kyrel, "I shall create some Disciple Builders to repair these houses. Once the reconstruction work is underway I wish to meet with Lycomedes. Your king did survive Athera's fall?"

"Yes my lord. He did. He is with the people, comforting the bereaved and aiding in the rebuilding work." I replied.

"He is? But is he not the king?" Kyrel asked in surprise.

"He may be the king, but he is also a man of the people. He cannot stand idle whilst his subjects suffer."

Kyrel nodded, then his eyes grew distant for several seconds, once his eyes refocused he walking back towards the ruins, "I have created the Builders. Once the Foresters and Miners acquire the materials needed they shall rebuild the villas and houses here. I've also told them to begin sinking a few wells, or at least open up a few of the ruined ones."

"Is it really that easy?" I asked in surprise, "To affect the will of people like that?"

"I do not take their free will… I merely fill a void in their lives. I give those without purpose a meaning in life, to build, to grow, to have children. They do these things gladly. I do not create mindless machines bent upon whatever task I see fit to give them." Kyrel answered, sounding offended, "I am not a cruel and evil God. I am not Nemesis."

My eyes widened as I realised what he thought I had meant, "Oh no! Lord I didn't- I mean I never… I didn't mean it like that!"

Kyrel nodded, "I know you didn't… Tell me Danae, why did you enter into the priesthood?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I blushed, "What? Oh… uh… I guess I felt that it was my calling to serve you."

"Even though I was a slumbering God who did not answer the prayers of the faithful?" Kyrel asked, his eyebrow rising.

**He's noticed I'm not telling me him the whole truth**_._ I realised, I shrugged and looked away, "I guess so, my lord. Ah, you wanted to speak to King Lycomedes?"

It seemed that Kyrel had decided not to dig deeper into the matter, at least not right now as he said, "Yes Danae, of course, please take me to him."

I led him deeper into the city until we reached the ruins of a large villa. There were several villagers there as well as one bearing the unmistakable frame and peaceful expression of a Disciple Builder. A tall, handsome man who was naked to the waist hefted a beam out of the way, grunting with exertion, "Pythas! Move those stones over there! We can grind them up and use them in the mortar! Cepheus, Meno! Lift with your knees! Your knees I said! Do you want to break your backs lifting that beam?" He called out to the other workers, all of them hastened to do as he asked.

I walked up to him, raising my hand in greeting, "Hail! You are Lycomedes, King of the Greeks?"

The man nodded, walking towards me, "I am, and who are you stranger?"

"I am Kyrel." I said, smiling, "I am the one that saved your people… Or at least those that I could."

He nodded gravely, "We have lost friends and family to the Aztecs, but we have survived thanks to you, lord. We all owe you our thanks. As you already know I am Lycomedes, King of the Grecian Empire" He then added wryly "Or what's left of it."

I inclined my head in acknowledgement, "Thank you, your majesty. Now that we have escaped the Aztecs I want to help rebuild the Greek civilisation. Together we will become powerful enough to destroy the Aztecs."

Lycomedes smiled grimly, "With the aid of a God I am certain that we shall cleanse this world of Aztec tyranny. I know that you have already begun work on rebuilding this settlement, you have our undying gratitude."

"You are my people, Lycomedes, the Greeks shall always have my protection… Well until you have no more need of me and toss me aside like your ancestors did."

I noticed that the king visibly flinched as his God said this, "I assure you that we shall always remain faithful and loyal to you, never again shall you be betrayed in such a way. When you fell asleep my ancestors suffered greatly without your benevolent guidance. We long ago learned our lessons, what our mistakes and sins were that caused you to turn away from us."

I snorted derisively, "You say that, but I doubt that your descendants will be so loyal, not when this crisis fades from living memory." I shook my head, "But that is a matter that I shall address when it comes. Now we must focus on survival." I gestured towards the repair work going on in the villa, "How many survived?"

Lycomedes shrugged, "We're not certain. It has been chaotic trying to figure it out. The best guess is between four and six hundred. Repair work on the existing houses should provide enough shelter, but it will take at least two months to repair enough. Luckily the fields seem to bear enough grain to see us to the next harvest with a little rationing."

"I shall help you construct some of these buildings, I still remember how to utilise God-Building."

"God-Building?" The king asked curiously.

I smiled, certain that the ability would impress the mortals, "Divine intervention to speed up building work, observe." I closed my eyes and gestured towards the building, picturing the completed structure in my mind and willing it to become real. Wood spontaneously cut itself into boards, stone shaped itself into blocks and mortar mixed itself. Materials flew to the building and began attaching themselves to each other forming the wooden superstructure, the walls, windows, and the door, mere minutes later and the gathered humans were staring dumbfounded at a completed villa.

People stared and gaped at the house, one of the workers stepped inside, he ran his hand down the walls and examined the woodwork, "This is… fine craftsmanship, my lord."

I nodded to him and turned back to the king, "I shall do this where I am able, however my power has… waned over the centuries and I will require that your people gather the materials themselves before I can replicate this feat."

"With your aid we shall have this settlement up and running in no time!" The monarch exclaimed.

"I shall leave you to your work then, good day your majesty." I turned and left him without bowing, I am a God after all.

Danae approached me, "My lord thank you for your aid. This villa will house many of our people."

"There will be no need for titles between us, Danae. You are my High Priestess. I have no need of prostration and all that 'your divine lordship' nonsense from you. To you I am simply Kyrel." I said firmly, gesturing towards the amphitheatre, "Come, if you are to become my representative to mortals then you should at least meet your divine counterpart."

"Your Creature? The giant wolf in the amphitheatre?" She asked, a tinge of fear colouring her voice, "Is it safe?"

"Elessia is my companion, she shall not harm any of my people… unless I allow it." I said, frowning slightly "It was a common practice amongst evil gods to feed villagers that displeased them to their Creatures. I always found that to be… distasteful."

I watched her as she went pale, a sick expression on her face, "Thank… err… you that you're a benevolent God." She said.

Soon enough we found ourselves in the amphitheatre's ruins, I sat on one of the benches and gestured for her to sit next to me, I watched Elessia as she slept, she rolled over and stone groaned in protest. Something cracked and I noticed that she'd pulverised a raised stone platform at the centre of the theatre's floor, "She must be tired; she used a teleportation miracle to travel from the Egyptian Land to this Land. She is large so it took a lot of energy from her."

Danae nodded, staring in wonder at my Creature, "She's… magnificent."

"We have had little time to get to know each other and there is much I do not know of Elessia. Despite this she is already a great part of me. A God's Creature is the physical manifestation of their power, divine will made flesh and bone, she is as much a part of my soul as the Consciences are."

"Consciences?" Danae asked in curiosity.

"There are four parts of a God's soul, but he or she is only born with three. The largest part is the God's personality and consciousness, upon our first awakening we choose a name and we are, for the most part, malleable and neutral. Our personality forms over many years as we experience the world and act upon it. The Consciences are lesser parts of a God's soul but no less important. They embody Good and Evil in their purest forms and it is from them that a God takes its moral guidance. We give them many names, some call them Yin and Yang or Ebony and Ivory. I prefer Sage and Sin because that is how they appear; a saintly, sage-like old man on a cloud and a vile demon as ugly as sin itself."

My priestess frowned, taking all of this in, I could see the questions forming in her mind, "So… you have voices in your head? And you see things that aren't there?"

I laughed, "If you're asking if I'm mad, then no. Our minds are infinitely greater than that of mortals. Where a human has a single consciousness and takes their moral guidance from simple feelings and instincts, a God requires something much more complex, hence the existence of the Consciences. A part of a God but separate in some ways."

"And the fourth part of a God's soul is their Creature?" Danae asked.

I nodded, "Yes, it is a powerful relationship. A Creature becomes an extension of a God's will and its mind joins with your own. However a Creature's views, whilst influenced by their God, are separate from their deity's. A Good God can have an Evil Creature and vice versa, though it is more common for the two to be of the same alignment."

"Elessia… she wasn't your first Creature was she? The sacred scrolls say that her name was Isira." Danae said.

The moment she said that name the sky darkened and there was thunder in the distance, it matched my own expression. I glanced up at the darkening sky and willed it to calm. I glanced at the mortal at my side and noticed the wonder, the fear in her eyes. I cursed myself silently for allowing my emotions to affect the mortal plane, "She was… and she is dead. Slain by your ancestors, Danae. They murdered her as surely as if they had taken a sword to her."

"A part of you soul… destroyed by those you loved." She whispered, "No wonder you turned from us after that betrayal."

"I did not turn from you." I said harshly, "_You_ turned from _me_. I gave your ancestors everything, I ended the War of the Gods and even after it ended I watched over your kind and protected them… and they turned from me. Man, in all its ignorance and petty hubris, took my power and my gifts for granted and they stopped believing in me."

She looked frightened, sad, and I suddenly realised that I had stood up, a hand raised to strike her. I lowered my hand and sighed heavily, "What I am about to tell you is the greatest secret of the Gods, Danae, and to my knowledge you are the only mortal ever to learn it." I turned to watch my sleeping Creature; "The Gods can only be drawn to Eden and other worlds by a Pure Prayer as you know. What you do not know is that we cannot remain here without faith, the belief of mortals. We are beings of a higher plane, what you see before you is a tiny fraction of what I truly am, but because of this, because I am a being of a higher realm, I have no place in this plane, in the material world and in order to sustain my existence here I require energy; faith, belief, prayer. That is why during the War of the Gods my kind fought so hard to steal or kill the followers of other deities. The fewer mortals that believe in us the weaker we grow until we can no longer exist here. During the War of the Gods many Gods took steps to prevent this, we constructed great towers, the Temples, and we stored the faith of our followers in them. Even if we lost all our followers we could use the faith stored in the Temples to maintain our existence long enough to find new mortals to convert… that is why when a God's Temple was destroyed he was instantly banished; all of his faith energy was stored there and without it he was nothing."

Danae took awhile to absorb this information, she then asked, "So you did not leave us by choice?"

"No, when I stopped answering your prayers, when I stopped healing your sick and injured, pouring rain upon your dying crops and keeping the peace between the villages and tribes it was because I no longer had the strength to perform such deeds. As your belief in me waned my power failed and I faded until, ultimately, I passed into the Sleep and departed this world and as I faded so too did my Creature. Without faith to sustain her and with my presence slowly fading Isira began to sicken, for a God's Creature is tied to his fate. When the Sleep claimed me and the last vestiges of my consciousness left this world Isira died, for she was a physical being and could not pass into the Realm of the Gods." I said sadly, "But enough of my past, now is the time to attend to the future."

I stood up again and walked down the stairs of the amphitheatre until I was stood in front of Elessia as she slept on the floor, a placed my hand on her warm grey fur and linked my consciousness to her's, **Elessia, I have arrived in Corinth with the remnants of the Greeks. It is time for you to wake up.**

**Five more minutes mum. **She replied sleepily.

**I'm not your mother I'm your God and I'm telling you to wake up!** I said with amusement, **I'd like you to meet with somebody.**

One large golden eye opened and she groaned. She sat up and yawned, stretching, before standing up. She dwarfed me! **So this is what a mortal sees when they look at you. It's bloody intimidating.**

**Well I am 'your will made flesh' and all that nonsense.** She said with amusement, **What's more imposing than a giant wolf?**

**Sage really wanted me to get the lion. 'Nothing's more regal than a big lion, Leader', honestly that's almost exactly what he said last time.**

She made an annoyed sound, **Your 'Good' side is lucky it's intangible otherwise I might just have taken offence at that. I am far more regal than that stupid pussycat.**

I nodded and patted her foot, **I completely agree. Now, I must introduce you to my new High Priestess.** I turned and gestured towards Danae, "Come here, she's perfectly harmless." A low growl from Elessia made me amend that statement, "Well, mostly harmless." My giant wolf didn't seem to appreciate that either.

Slowly and fearfully Danae descended the steps of the amphitheatre to stand in font of Elessia, her neck craning to see my Creature's face, "H-hello Elessia, my name's Danae. It is a great honour to meet you."

Elessia crouched down and sniffed at Danae, who went rigid with fear, satisfied she projected her thoughts to Danae s well as myself, **Hello, human.** She eyed me with a faint smirk on her muzzle; **I notice you chose a very attractive female to be your liaison with the mortals rather than a dignified old male.** This seemed to amuse her for some reason.

"She is the one who summoned me, I felt it to be a fitting role for her." I said.

**And the fact that she is attractive had no bearing on your decision at all?** She asked.

"What?" I spluttered, "Of course not! I'm a God! I'm far beyond such… such things." I hated how defensive I sounded, I turned to Danae, "Ignore her, she's just being… well… annoying."

Danae was blushing but she managed a smile, "It's okay, I'm certain that you're telling the truth. You are a God after all, you are far beyond mere physical attraction."

"Exactly!" I said, nodding.

**So are the introductions over? Can I go back to sleep?** Before I could answer a loud rumbling came from above my head, **I'm hungry, any meat around here?**

"Well there're animals in the forest but-" I began.

**Excellent. I'll go hunt; I'll be back in a few hours.** She loped out of the amphitheatre and away from the ruined settlement before I could finish.

"Great." I muttered, "If she drives off all the game I'm going to… never mind." I turn to Danae, "Since you're my High Priestess I want you to commission the construction of a new temple in my name. It can wait until after the houses are done and we've set up a granary, a smelter and a wood mill so we can exploit our resources more easily but I still want plans drawn up." I then frowned and said, "In the meantime I think you should build an altar for the faithful to gather at."

"Of course Kyrel." Danae said, "Is there anything specific you want me to put on the altar?"

"A large bowl behind it, since I don't have a true Temple I'll have to store the faith energy in the altar, it'll manifest as a large blue fire." I replied, "Make sure the temples have a dome and an oculus. For some reason domes seem to magnify the faith energy created by worshippers, it creates a shaft of light that I can use to pinpoint the town if I'm far away."

"Of course my lord, I'll commission an architect at once." Danae said with a bow.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "You do not have to be so formal with me, Danae, I have told you this once already."

She frowned slightly but nodded, "Fine. Is there anything else?"

I shook my head, "Nothing else. If you will excuse me, I have business of my own to attend to." With that, I released my hold on my corporeal form and it dissolved into light as it had in the temple back at Athera. I watched with amusement as Danae jumped back with a startled squeak. **I can see why having a High Priest or Priestess so amused the others…** My amusement faded as old memories returned unbidden. _Lightning and fire, a smoke-obscured sky, humans running, screaming as their huts caught fire and the very ground itself broke open beneath them to swallow them whole, a beautiful slender Temple shattering under a hail of pure malevolent energy. _

I shook myself and forced the memories away. The War was long over; it did not do to dwell on the past when so much more important matters remained in the present. I floated high above the settlement and watched my Disciples hard at work rebuilding the town, restoring its former glory. Here and there I lent my power to aid those felling trees or mining ore by uprooting immense pines and large boulders, bringing them to the storehouse where, with a flex of my will, I broke them down into boards and smaller chunks of ore-laden stone so they could be immediately put to use.

After a short time of helping with the resource gathering and rebuilding work, I decided to scout out the rest of the Land and see what else this island held…

**A/N **_Not exactly an eventful chapter I know, but I wanted to flesh out the situation before getting into the meat of the Norse/Greek confrontation. I know that happens in the Land after this one, but there's no reason not to start setting up on this Land, is there? Anyway, I really appreciate all of the reviews, follows and adds I've had for this story so far, especially the ones that happened during my long hiatus on this story. _

_To answer my reviewer, SnakeStaff0150, I'm not using the Egyptian Mod for either the game or the story. I've never really played mods on games since for whatever reason they've never seemed to install or work correctly, though I have heard of it. As for Sage and Sin… I'm glad you like the names! I was originally going to call them Ebony and Ivory, since it was one of my favourite names other people had used, but then I decided to go for something a little more… original. If you ever get around to writing that story then I'd gladly allow you to use those names! There aren't enough Black and White stories on here, and the few good ones on here were never finished._

_That's it from me until I eventually write and post the next chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story too!_


	4. Chapter 4 A Phoenix Rises

**A/N**_ This chapter will see the Greeks rebuild Corinth and deal with part of the second tutorial island. I was planning on finishing the whole second Land in one chapter but this chapter's grown too big so I'll be splitting it over two or three. Depending on how it goes I might do each Land over multiple chapters._

_**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! Back and White belongs to Lionhead and not me!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

_… A Phoenix Rises_

The Land that my people and I had fled to, I discovered, was home to a total of four villages. The closest villages to Corinth were called Fern and Fallow. I was relieved to note that these villages seemed to be little more than peaceful farming communities with very little in the way of arms or warriors. However it soon became apparent that these villages were not quite as idyllic as I had first thought.

I was in my symbol form, totally invisible to mortal sight and floating above the tiny settlement of Fern. It was a rustic, poor village surviving only on what its people could coax from the poor soil that surrounded their village. Worse, much of what little food they could produce was taken by the villages further north who did seem to possess a small armed force with which they terrorised and subjugated the weaker settlements.

As I watched a corpulent Norseman wearing clothes of a finer quality than the rough woollen tunics of the villagers walked up to the village elders with an arrogant swagger, "Greetings Elders of Fern, you have this year's tribute I trust?"

The tallest greybeard had rheumy eyes and he was painfully thin, like many of his fellows, but he stood straight and tall. He was obviously a proud man, one who had once had the muscled frame of a mighty warrior or strong farmer before age and starvation had wracked his body, "Aye, we have it, though little else besides."

"Your troubles do not concern my chieftain." The arrogant emissary snapped, "Do not think that we will not notice of you try to steal any of the food which is rightfully ours. Our men have a great disliking for liars and thieves."

The Elder nodded and gestured to a cart piled with food and wood, "Here's your damned tribute."

The emissary rifled through it, weighing a few bags of grain and then nodded, "Good." He took an apple from a sack and bit into the juicy red flesh, "Hmmm… yes, this will do nicely." In a careless show of waste in front of the starving men he threw the apple to the ground and crushed it under foot. He sneered at their angry expressions and mounted the horse that was hitched to the cart, "See you next year Einar Greybeard! I hear that your granddaughter will have come of age by then, perhaps I'll pay her a visit in order to… congratulate her." The elder glared at the man, his eyes flinty, as the corpulent man rode off with the harvest, laughing as he did so.

When the man was finally gone, the other elders gathered around Greybeard, worried looks on their faces, "We won't survive another winter if those cowards at Stonepeak keep taking so much of the harvest." One said.

"What can we do? We have no fighting men… most of the men folk are too old or too young to fight." Another said, "If we defy them…"

"We'll do what we've always done." Einar said resignedly, "We'll keep quiet, pay our tribute and find a way through winter. We'll endure, survive… we're Norsemen! We are survivors!"

Sage appeared before me, "These people need our help Leader! We can't leave them to starve!"

Sin appeared, throwing his opinion in, "So… what? We give 'em our food? We can barely feed ourselves, 'sides what use are a load of half-dead old men anyway?"

"They could join us!" Sage said hotly, "If we convince them to come to Corinth we could put them to work in the fields and the ore mine. We need extra hands and the population boost; there are too few Greeks right now, we're near extinction! We need the new blood. "

**Before we help these people we must help ourselves. Corinth must be rebuilt and put into working order. Once our survival is assured we will aid this village… for now they must follow their Elder's advice… and survive. **I said to them, **Besides it would be difficult to convince them to leave their homes, where they have no doubt lived for generations. We would need a symbol of Corinth's power, and the ability of the Greeks to protect them and provide succour.**

"How about a temple? It's a big, expensive project. It would show that we have resources to spare and the manpower available to protect them from their masters at Stonepeak." Sage said.

**Very well. I will begin construction of the temple as soon as Corinth is able to support itself.** I said, **For now we must concentrate on rebuilding the Greeks.**

I left the downtrodden village of Fern and turned westwards, skirting the edge of the village of Fallow and noting that they seemed to be primarily a mining community, one in the same situation as Fern; the fruits of their toil taken by the people of Stonepeak and left to suffer in poverty and squalor.

A plan began to form in my mind…

* * *

><p>The architect began to walk about manically, waving his arms emphatically as he gestured at the large diagram he'd drawn up mere minutes before, his speech was so excited and rushed that I could barely understand a word he said. Where did this man get all of that energy?<p>

"Stop!" I finally shouted, "Just stop!" I sighed in exasperation at his shocked expression, "Master Ictinus I appreciate your enthusiasm but I have had a very stressful day and all of your shouting and waving about is beginning to give me a migraine. Would you please begin again, but in a more… refined manner?"

He bowed hastily, a stricken look on his face, as if he thought my outburst meant that his design was about to be imminently rejected in favour of the other his rival, Callicrates, had submitted earlier that morning, "Of course High Priestess! Forgive me!" He gestured at the rather imposing sketch of his concept for the new temple, "This is my design." He explained, "It incorporates many aspects of the classic design for our temples and I have modelled it closely upon the Great Temples of Athera and Ephesus, however I have made a number of modifications and innovations that I am certain will not only increase the grandeur of the temple itself but also reduce the cost and the time it would take to construct it."

I got off of the chair that I had been sitting in and walked over to the design, examining the sketch and the many diagrams. "It certainly looks… imposing. However those spikes look a little... gruesome."

"Not at all my lady!" He exclaimed, "Why those will be the most beautiful aspect of the temple! I envision them glinting with holy light, burning like the rays of the sun! It will look as if a star has fallen from heaven and been carved into a great temple to the magnificence of Kyrel!"

"Hm… I'm not sure… It looks too similar to the old depictions of the Evil Temples of Lethys and Nemesis." She said, "Kyrel is hardly an evil deity."

"Oh no your eminence! I do not mean to suggest that at all!" The architect protested, "If you dislike the spikes so much I'll alter the design, please what about the rest of it?"

"Well… I do like the fountains and that clever water channel… and that twin statue concept would be very impressive… However, where is the oculus?" I asked.

"Oh, that." He sniffed, "Oculi are _so_ last millennium. Instead I've planned an immense frieze that will cover the entire dome depicting scenes from ancient myth with the symbol-form of Kyrel at the dome's apex."

I shook my head, slightly annoyed by the man's arrogant tone, "The temple must have an oculus. Kyrel requested it specifically. Change the design."

"Bu-but your eminence! I would have to install drains and ducts to carry away rainwater! I'd have to alter the entire interior to prevent weather damage!" He protested.

"Either you alter the design or I will use the one presented by Master Callicrates." I said firmly, daring him to argue.

He stared at me, mouth opening and closing like a fish for several moments, "F-fine! I'll add the oculus! Oh it'll take days to revise the entire temple!"

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, how can one man complain so much? "Just use the designs used in the old temples. Each one had an oculus so you shouldn't have too much trouble adapting the systems. Now if you will excuse me I have more pressing concerns to attend to."

I swept out of the room imperiously, just to punctuate my irritation with the man, and left him to his redesigning.

Being a High Priestess wasn't exactly all it was cracked up to be. Even though I had few additional duties at this point, since most of the survivors were focused on rebuilding rather than religious matters, that did not mean I hadn't been run off my feet by people who thought that since I was now a High Priestess that they could bring all of their troubles to me rather than bother the King. Not only did I have to deal with petty petitions and demands but I also had to oversee the design for the new temple Kyrel had requested, keep an eye on his pet wolf to make sure she didn't cause a panic and try to reorganise the clergy.

It was an unfortunate fact of the Fall of Athera that most of the priesthood had been wiped out and we had lost most of our religious artefacts and holy sites. Trying to rebuild a religion from what was effectively the ground up is no easy task.

"Your eminence!" Someone shouted from behind me.

I sighed, **Great, another one, **I thought. I put on my best fake smile and turned around, "Can I help you?"

A man in fine clothing, or what passed for 'fine' nowadays which meant slightly less ragged and dirty than the rest of us, came running up to me, he bowed hastily and said, "His majesty the king has requested your presence at your earliest convenience."

Translation: come running. I nodded, keeping my smile firmly fixed to my face, "Thank you. Please inform his majesty that I shall attend to him as soon as possible. Where is he holding court?"

"His majesty has commandeered a large mansion to the west of the central plaza, it is the one that is in the least disrepair." The messenger said, "His majesty wishes you to know that the matter he wishes to discuss with you is rather… delicate politically and that it would be best if your visit were to remain… a private matter."

"Of course." I said, "I shall attend at once."

Thankfully the walk from the converted storehouse where I had set up my makeshift headquarters to Lycomedes' mansion was relatively short and uneventful. It seemed that most people were too busy with the restoration work to pay much attention to a priestess wandering the streets. When I arrived before the mostly-intact building, impressive purely because it was the only inhabitable building in this part of the town, I was met by two guards. Their armour was scratched and dented and they were both sporting numerous bandages. Obviously the king's guard hadn't escaped unscathed from Athera.

"Right this way your eminence." One of the guards said as he opened the doors, "His majesty is waiting for you in his study."

The guards escorted me through the building, which had a barren, empty feel thanks to the lack of furniture or decoration. Anything of value would have been taken when the Norse had looted the city and anything left behind would have been useless debris cleared out by the king's men. We ascended a wide, sweeping staircase. Its once-graceful marble façade chipped and defaced. There were depressions and holes in some parts of the staircase where the stone had given way after what might have been centuries of disuse and neglect. I was led down a hall and was surprised to see an actual wooden door at the far end.

As I approached it soon became clear that the door was a new addition and not an original feature as I'd at first thought. It was still rough and unlacquered, a mere collection of hastily nailed together boards. One of my escorts knocked on it respectfully, "Your majesty! The High Priestess Danae has arrived as you requested."

"Show her in, Amyntas." Called the muffled voice of King Lycomedes.

The guard, Amyntas which meant 'Defender' I recalled with a faint smile, opened the door and bowed his head respectfully to me. I entered the room and was unsurprised to find the King standing over a table with a map on it, he looked up from it, "Ah, Danae, come in please. I believe congratulations are in order."

I stepped further into the room and heard the door close behind me, "Congratulations?" I asked curiously.

"On your promotion." He explained, "High Priestess of The Faith? A lofty title."

"It is… an honour." I said, "Your majesty, if I may? Why was I summoned here?"

The King grimaced, "Ah, straight to the point, hm? Well before we get to that… ah… would you care for a drink?" He gestured to a crystal decanter on the table containing an amber liquid; two small glasses were placed next to it.

"No thank you, I don't drink."

"Ah, quite right…" He said, picking up a glass and pouring out a generous measure of the liquor, "I hope you don't mind if I partake in the vice?"

"Not at all." I said with a smile, "I could grant you an indulgence if you'd like."

He chuckled at that and nodded to me, "I'll drink to that." He drank the entire glass in a single gulp and poured out another one, "This decanter is the only thing I managed to rescue from the Royal Palace before the Aztecs arrived." He said, "It is an old family heirloom. It was presented to my ancestor, Saristes, as part of the tribute from the city of Syracuse when it first joined the Grecian Empire…"

"That is… a very old decanter." I said finally, not sure of what to say.

He laughed again, "That it is… Anyway you are wondering why you are here? The reason is very simple Danae. I want to know where Kyrel stands in relation to the state."

I gave him a confused look, "What do you mean?"

His tone became serious, "I won't lie to you, priestess, I was never one for faith or religion. Oh I kept up pretences, went to the temples at the proper times, sacrificed the grain at the harvest and the bulls on the proper holy days. But it was all an act, a way to keep the people and the priesthood happy. I have always believed more in men than gods… I could always count on my farmers to reap the harvest, the merchants to fill my coffers, my soldiers to defend my people and the priests to keep them content. I never had much use for deities or magic."

"And now a God has suddenly appeared and you are having a crisis of faith, or rather a crisis of lack of faith." I said with a nod, "I see."

"That is not to say I did not believe in Kyrel." He said hurriedly, "I was more of an… agnostic than an atheist. I believed that men should make their own destiny rather than rely on deities for aid that might never come… Now that a true living God has appeared… Well I partly fear that my lack of faith will bring down Kyrel's wrath, but I also fear for the throne itself. With a God to lead them, what need do the people have for a King?"

"Kyrel has no interest in dethroning you, your majesty. His concern is only the survival of our people, His people, and the defeat of the Aztecs. Whilst He is a God, Kyrel has far greater concerns than the day-to-day running of a state. If you like I will ask Him about His intentions, perhaps convince Him to speak directly to the people so that they do not begin to… stray from your authority." I said.

"I would be most… grateful if you would speak to Him on my behalf, High Priestess." Lycomedes said, "However Kyrel's return does change matters. However you look at it the Priesthood is going to gain a lot more political power than it ever has in the past. Perhaps enough to challenge that of the secular elements of government."

"I assure you that I have no designs on your throne, nor do I seek to become some kind of political leader. I lead the Faith, you lead the State. I will try to keep myself as far removed from politics as possible."

Lycomedes nodded, a grateful look on his face, "Thank you. It would make things so much more complicated if the State and the Faith were to have a conflict of interests, especially now that both are so weakened by the losses incurred by the Aztecs."

"Is that all, your majesty?" I asked, preparing to leave.

"Ah, no, wait a moment." He said raising his hand in a 'stop' gesture, "There is one more thing. That wolf, Elessia, Kyrel's Creature… I trust you have it under control?"

I winced at the 'it', "_She_ is of no threat to anyone." I hesitated, "Well maybe the Aztecs. And the Norse… and… well… so long as you aren't an enemy of Kyrel she won't harm you."

He looked slightly nervous at my hesitation, "Do you mean to say that it… she… is not under the control of the Priesthood?"

"She answers to no one but Kyrel." I said, "I suggest that if you want to prevent any… unpleasantness with Elessia that you do nothing to antagonise her. I will speak with Kyrel and try to establish some boundaries. Although what I could do to stop a giant wolf I don't know. Except prayers and hoping that Kyrel can come quick enough to stop her."

The King groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Sometimes I wonder if Gods are more trouble than they're worth."

"I think your ancestors decided that they weren't." I said with a shake of my head, "But I think having just one God is far more manageable than having a hundred warring deities on your hands."

The king paled at that thought, "Just think about what the ancients had to put up with during the War of the Gods."

"I think you'd just better be thankful that it was Kyrel that answered my prayers and not one of the others. For all we know defeated Gods could return one day… what would we have done if it had been Lethys or Nemesis that had turned up at Athera?"

"I think there would have been a lot of shouting and dying involved." The King said morosely, "Maybe you are right Danae. At least this God seems to be reasonable."

"Trust me your majesty, Kyrel is much less intimidating when you get to know Him." I said.

"Thank you for allaying some of my concerns, Danae. You may go."

I bowed to him, "Thank you your majesty... and remember; things could be a lot worse. Be thankful. A little humility before a God can go a long way to securing the future of our people" With that I left him to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>As I flew over Corinth I couldn't help but glow a little with pride at seeing how far the Greeks had come in just a few short weeks. With a little help from God-Building they had restored enough buildings to house everyone and the fields were finally producing enough grain to take everyone off of rations. Elessia had proven to be a more adept hunter than I would have thought, considering her size, and the storehouse now overflowed with grain and fresh meat. My Disciple Builders were already hard at work building a mill in order to turn the grain into flour for bread and a granary for easier storage. The new sawmill was also a… Godsend. Now that my people had a ready supply of cut wood and ore they were beginning construction on my new temple. Even though construction had only just begun I felt anticipation rising in my essence.<p>

Soon I would feel like a true God again, with a proper place of worship and a proper priesthood to spread the word of my return. Thoughts of the priesthood brought my thoughts to my newly ordained High Priestess. Danae was an enigma to me. Her will was strong and her faith in me was of a purity I had not seen since… since I had rescued a child from sharks so many countless ages ago and felt the first thrills of new power as gratitude flowed from the child's parents to me.

The intoxication of pure faith energy is a pleasure unique to Gods. It is power in its purest form, the power over the hearts and minds of humans. It is a power that has tainted many, turning deities into cruel and capricious creatures seeking out that belief with whatever means possible and finding pleasure in turning love and gratitude into terror and pain. In my time as a God I have felt both kinds of power.

_Lightning poured from the blood-red sky, mortals fled in terror as Lethys flew, screaming in horror, towards his Temple in a desperate bid for survival. _

_He wouldn't get away._

_I wouldn't let him._

And once I came very close to losing myself to the dark thrills that the sweet sour tang of mortal terror that laced the belief energy given to me by the populace of Lethys' Lands gave me. It is the pleasure of the forbidden, the pleasure of power in its rawest and most brutal form. The power of life and death over all things.

_The mortal was on his knees in front of Lethys' Temple, moaning and keening in terror as I approached. Even invisible to his sight he knew I was there. He could feel my presence, my power._

_My anger._

"_Please! Lord don't do this!" He shouted desperately, "Lord Lethys has taken my family and sealed them within the Temple! If you destroy the temple you'll kill them! He's taken the women and children too! All of them! From all of the villages!"_

_His terror filled the air with its sweet scent. His faith, split between his master, Lethys, and the terrible divinity hovering invisible above him, was like sweet nectar. His terror made it sweet._

_I wonder if his blood will make it even better?_

_His screams rang out across the Land, echoing through the halls of Lethys' Temple._

_I could hear that pitiful wretch of a God whimpering in fear._

That, ultimately, was the reason Nemesis sought the Creed and sought to extinguish all other Gods. He wanted to have all of the mortals for himself, all of their power and all of the joys of torturing and terrorising them brought.

_Fire and lightning poured from the sky, thunder rolled down upon the Temple like the waves of the ocean crashing against the shore. The ground beneath the stone edifice crumbled and cracked, splitting open under the force of my power. Parts of the temple caught fire; even the stone itself was blackened and ablaze. Other parts sunk into the ground or simply collapsed under the force of my fury. _

_Lethys' screams of pain and terror mixed with those of the women and children he'd imprisoned in his Temple. His human shields. As if I cared about bugs like them compared to exacting my vengeance upon that creature. As if the screams of the children would break my heart._

_It was already broken._

_Isira's cries had broken me…_

_Now he would learn what a mistake that had been…_

I pulled myself to the present. The images, smells and sounds were as vivid as ever. I mentally shuddered away from the memories. Gods don't sleep, at least not in the way humans do, and we don't have nightmares. There's no need for them, when our memories are so long and so vivid.

"Leader? Are you okay?" Asked Sage in concern.

"Yeah Boss, you just zoned out there for a minute." Sin said.

**I…I'm fine. **I managed to force myself to say as the memories continued to flicker through my mind's eye, faded and dull now but present nonetheless. It would be a few minutes until I could force them back into my subconscious, where I long ago locked away many of my memories from the War of the Gods.

"Oh...uuh… right, well…" Sage said, scrambling to think of something to say.

"You were going to go smite the village of Fern." Sin said not so helpfully.

"No he wasn't!" Sage said hotly, "He was going to go choose someone to be an emissary, someone to show the villagers of Fern that they are welcome in Corinth."

**Oh, yes. Of course. Fern.** I said, shaking myself from my lethargy, **I think it is best that we ask King Lycomedes to send the emissary, he is after all the leader of the Greeks and our emissary would need the official power. We could send some spare food to Fern as a gesture of good will.**

"An excellent idea, Leader!" Sage said enthusiastically, "I'm sure we'll convince them to join us!"

"Yipee! I'm over the moon!" Sin said sarcastically, "Are you sure we can't smite someone? Just one? Please?"

"No!" Sage said angrily, "No one is smiting anyone!"

"Spoilsport." Sin grumbled.

I stifled a chuckle at their antics and roused myself, heading to King Lycomedes' mansion.

I found the King in his study and it was the work of an instant to channel myself into mortal form. As the bright light of my transition from symbol-form to corporeal reality flared, the King bit off a startled curse and turned around, fumbling for a short-sword belted to his waist. When he saw it was me he moved his hand away from the hilt and bowed, "Oh! Kyrel! Greeting to You, my God, what can I do for You?"

"I wish to send an emissary to the Norse village of Fern to the northeast. It is a farming village that is being heavily taxed by a village further north called Stonepeak; they are on the brink of starvation. I hope to offer the people succour in hopes of drawing them to live in Corinth. We need the extra hands an the new blood if we are to rebuild the Greek people."

"I'll send someone at once my Lord!" He said, "I assume you wish to send them food so they can last the winter?"

"Yes, I am hoping that if we can show them Corinth is a place of plenty and sanctuary they will join us. My new temple would be the perfect symbol of the rebirth of the Greeks, a way of showing that we have the people and resources to withstand any reprisal from Stonepeak."

"I will see to it that the temple is made the first priority." The king said.

I frowned, "You are being much less combative than I thought you would be. I am diverting resources and people away from much needed building work; there are still fields to plant, houses to build and wells to sink."

"Well, it has occurred to me that the best way to ensure the survival of my people it would be best that the State and the Faith, in this case Yourself, Lord, should be seen to be working together without conflict."

"You've been talking with Danae, haven't you?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your High Priestess? She and I have come to an… understanding." He said.

I shook my head, "That girl is more adept at politics than I thought."

"In truth my Lord I believe she detests the whole concept of politics." Lycomedes said, "She told me that she'd rather stay out of it."

"She may want to stay out of it but I don't think she'll have much of a choice." I said with a grin, "I'm sure she'll be complaining to me before long about the 'honour' I bestowed upon her."

"I got that impression myself." The King said with a smile, "Though I'm rather thankful she dislikes politics… otherwise I'd fear for my job."

"And I'm rather thankful she's not interested in power, otherwise I'd be afraid for _my _job." I said with a chuckle, "Anyway, I see that you have the matter in hand. If you will excuse me I have other matters to attend to."

"Of course." He said graciously, bowing.

I nodded and released my hold on my mortal form, light burst froth from it and it blurred into nothingness. When the light as gone I was in my symbol-form once again, watching invisibly at Lycomedes' comically shocked expression.

"Well, He certainly knows how to make an exit." The King muttered.

With a chuckle I floated out of the room and high into the air, turning my attention to the amphitheatre where Elessia had made her home.

The amphitheatre had changed greatly in the few days since I'd last visited it. Much of the structure had been torn down and rebuilt to provide my Creature with a more comfortable living space. Whilst it wasn't quite as impressive as the Creature Caves of my Temples, this new structure was very large, so that it could accommodate the future growth of my Creature as she grew older and the floor had been covered with sand to make it more comfortable.

Elessia herself was standing outside of her new 'pen', apparently inspecting her new home when she noticed my approach she said, **I suppose I'll make do with this place until the Greeks can build something better. **She shook her massive head, **Your girlfriend came by earlier, she wants to set up a few rules governing my behaviour. **She snorted; **Mortals are both arrogant and stupid if they think they can bind me to anything.**

**Girlfriend? Elessia I have no such interest in mortals! I am a God for the love of the Heavens!**

She looked at me askance **Is that so? You may be a Divinity, Kyrel, but you are still a male.**

**I am a God!** I protested, **I'm not even a physical being with an actual gender!**

**And yet you identify yourself more readily with the male mortals. **She pointed out, **There are male deities and female deities you know, Gods and Goddesses. There is no shame in being attracted to a female.**

**I am beyond such petty things! **I said hotly, **Now stop it!**

**My Kyrel, this does embarrass you doesn't it? If I didn't know better than I would say that you've never been in love before.** She said archly.

**Elessia…** I said warningly.

A, pardon the pun; wolfish grin settled on her face, **You haven't, have you? You've never in all your existence been with anyone!**

**My love life is none of your concern, Elessia!** I snapped.

**Come now! Surely there must have been someone? Some pretty village girl? Some alluring Goddess? Someone?** She asked.

**I am not talking about it, end of conversation. **I said flatly, **If all you are going to do is heckle me then I have far better things to do!**

**Running away Kyrel? **She asked.

**Ugh! Females!** I shouted in exasperation and fled.

The sounds of her laughter followed me for a long time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **_I know this chapter wasn't all that action-packed, but I promise that the story will pick up once we get off the second Land. Next chapter will deal with the completion of the temple, the migration of Fern and the retaliation from Stonepeak and ultimately the occupation of Fallow and the conquest of the Land._

_After that we'll finally get into the meat of the story with the war against the Norse. When we finally get to that I've got a few ideas planned for Elessia, since the Norse Creature is also a Wolf…_

_The two architects, Callicrates and Ictinus are named after the co-architects of the famous Parthenon of Athens and the name of the Chief Elder of Fern, Einar, is a Norse name meaning 'Lone Warrior', and Kyrel's name is derived from the Greek word 'kyrie' which means 'lord'._

_Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	5. Chapter 5 Fern Finds Freedom

**A/N **_It's me again with another update! I just want to say thanks to Flying Frog for his reviews and for pointing out my mistake in the last chapter. I've edited it to fix that and a few other minor mistakes I found whilst reading through it again. _

_This chapter ran a bit longer than I thought, so this chapter ends with Fern's migration, but I promise that next chapter will have a bit more action and will probably finish off the Second Land. _

_This chapter starts off in Kyrel's POV._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Black & White or the plot of the general plot of the story, but additions, names and original characters are mine! You can't have them! Well, not without permission…_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

_Fern Finds Freedom_

When the emissary bearing word of the survival of the Greeks and, more importantly, enough food to see Fern through the winter, arrived the entire village was filled with a mixture of shocked surprise and jubilation and a feast was held using the newly acquired supplies to give thank to the generosity of the Greeks. The celebration lasted all day and through the night and by the end of it the messenger was quite drunk and singing a rather bawdy drinking song off-key, much to the amusement of his hosts.

By the time dawn's light reached the village, stirring hungover villagers from their beds, the Elders of Fern had already gathered together to discuss the offer of alliance with the Greeks.

Since I had little better to do, I decided to spy on the Elders in order to figure out the best way to entice them into joining with Corinth.

As I expected, Einar Greybeard was the one to begin the meeting, "Now I know we're all very happy and grateful to these Greeks for their food and their kind offer of protection, but we must not get ahead of ourselves. The Greeks may have been able to send us food, but what of Stonepeak's soldiers? You have all heard the tale of the slaughter at Athera. The Greek army was butchered, the people massacred, how many able-bodied men do they have able to draw a sword or string a bow? I would wholeheartedly enter into an alliance with these men of the south if it meant throwing off the fetters of Stonepeak's greed but we must be sure that our new friends can protect us as well as themselves!"

"Then what do you suggest, Einar? We may never get another chance of escaping Stonepeak's control." Said another elder.

"I say we send someone to take a look at this town they're building amidst the ruins of their old city. If it is strong and their soldiers able, then I will see no objection to this alliance… but if they are not… well… in time, perhaps, they will be able to challenge Stonepeak and I for one would be glad to take up the sword and shield again to help these Greeks when that day comes!" Einar said.

The other elders nodded, murmuring their approval.

Einar looked around, "Then it is decided then? We refuse to ally ourselves with the Greeks until they show us that they are strong enough to overcome Stonepeak."

I watched as all of the elders raised their hands in assent. I was disappointed, but it was not unexpected. I knew the greybeards would be cautious of committing themselves against their masters until they could be certain of freedom.

I left Fern and flew back to Corinth, where I found Danae overseeing the temple construction site. As I poured myself into my mortal guise I couldn't help but notice that the temple's construction was coming along swiftly. In the weeks since Danae had chosen the design the labourers had already laid the foundations and were now beginning to construct the building's superstructure.

Alerted to my presence by the flash of light, Danae turned around to face me, a smile on her face, "My lord!" She exclaimed, "Welcome! You've come to check on our progress I take it?"

I nodded to her, "Yes. I was just out at Fern. The Elders won't agree to an alliance."

She frowned, "Hm, I expected as much. Still, once they see the finished temple they won't be able to help but feel awe and wonder… they'll see that Stonepeak is no match for Corinth in grandeur or power."

"I certainly hope so." I told her, "How long until the temple is finished?"

Danae shrugged, "Well so long as the materials keep coming and the workers keep up the pace I'd say maybe… a year and half, two at most."

"What!?" I asked, startled, "That long?"

"It's a big temple." She said, "It took us centuries to build the Great Temple of Athera. This temple is much smaller, but it will be the first temple of the new Priesthood… it has to look the part. You're lucky it won't take ten times that time; Master Ictinus has invented a truly remarkable contraption using pulleys and horses he calls a 'crane' that will really speed up the construction work."

"That won't do." I said, shaking my head, "We can't spend so long on this temple, the resources and men are needed for far more important matters. I'll give you six months."

"What!?" She exclaimed, "It can't be done!"

I smirked, "I'm a God, remember? I'll lend a hand."

She glared at me, "You scared me half to death! Giving me such a ridiculous deadline!"

I grinned at her, "I like to keep you mortals on your toes."

"Hmph!" She huffed, "Well if you're going to be like that you may as well make Yourself useful…"

"And I see it didn't take you long to drop all of the overawed respect and titles." I said pointedly

"You did tell me that you didn't want me to use titles… 'To you I'm just Kyrel' remember?" She shot back

"Touché." I said, smiling, "How much wood and stone do you have?"

"Enough for the erection of the superstructure and scaffolding. It'll be a few weeks until we can secure enough marble for the outer façade and gold and such for the interior." She said.

I nodded, "Show me the designs."

She gestured to a rough wooden table were several sketches of the completed temple, as well as diagrams of the interior and the plumbing and such. I studied them for a moment and closed my eyes, picturing in my mind's eye the wooden skeleton of the building and all of the scaffolding required for the workmen to carry out their tasks.

I concentrated my will upon the image and the various materials flew high into the air and shaped themselves accordingly. Planks nailed themselves together, massive beams raised themselves into place and a few mere minutes later the superstructure was in place and ready to receive the materials with which the temple itself would actually be built.

I opened my eyes and nodded towards the building site, "There, I've just shorn off a few days from the construction already. Drop me a prayer when you need any more help with it."

Danae nodded, "I'll…uh… do that"

I smiled, "But try to do as much as you can yourselves, I'm a God, not your personal errand boy."

"O-of course not Lord!" She exclaimed, "I'll… I'll get the men ready to start construction on the temple proper."

"Very good." I said, "If you will excuse me Danae, I want to have a word with Lycomedes."

She bowed her head to me, "Of course, I shall… uh… see you later?"

I nodded to her, "Of course."

Light engulfed my mortal form, and then I was again in my symbol-form. I was soon flying over Corinth, heading in the direction of Lycomedes' mansion. When I arrived I stopped outside of the entrance and reassumed my corporeal form, startling the guards in the process.

As soon as they stopped swearing and fumbling for their weapons, I said, "Please inform his majesty King Lycomedes that Kyrel wishes to speak with him on an urgent matter."

Both guards assumed look of profound respect and hurried to do as I had bid, no doubt fearful that I might be in the mood for smiting mortals who were too slow at doing my bidding.

"No Sin, I won't smite them." I said to the repulsive demon as he appeared over my left shoulder in an invisible cloud of smoke.

His expression fell, "You're no fun anymore!" He complained, "Don't you remember how good it felt to smite Lethys and his lot?"

_Fire…Smoke… Rain fell in torrents from the scorched sky…._

_Lightning rent the darkening sky with flashes of blinding light, illuminating black, angry clouds heavy with acidic rain. Carrion birds circled below as I chased the fleeing blue sphere that was Lethys in his symbol-form._

_The ground beneath my flying form rumbled and groaned under the weight of my anger, cracking and splitting open into great chasms of tortured stone. The entire Land lay languishing in torment, feeding me with their sweet terror, their moans and cries of terror and pain a symphony that I gloried in; my vengeance and inner pain given a thousand voices._

I shook myself awake, "No." I said flatly, "I… That… monster is long dead."

"Nah." Sin said, "He 'aint dead, he's just asleep, waiting, lurking… One day he'll come back out to play and I can kick Goody off his high 'n' mighty pedestal and stick that damn cloud where the sun don't shine!"

"I think that's quite enough from you, Sin!" Sage snapped, appearing over my right shoulder. He floated over to the fat demon and grabbed him by the ear, "I think Leader has had his fill of your bile." With that he vanished, dragging the protesting demon with him.

"Huh… I didn't know he could do that." I muttered to myself.

Suddenly a servant, dressed in a rather frayed and patched looking livery, appeared at the door, "My Lord Kyrel, his majesty welcomes you to his house and begs you enter, he awaits you in his study."

"Thank you." I said, entering the barren dwelling, "I know the way." I made my way through the echoing entry hall and ascended the partially ruined staircase at its far end. It wasn't long before I was stood before the rough wooden door that barred the way into Lycomedes' inner sanctum. I entered without knocking and said, "Greetings Lycomedes, you are well?"

The king turned from the book that he was writing in and stood up, "Greeting my Lord, I a quite well, thank you. To what do I owe the honour of Your visit?"

"I wished to enquire about the state of your armies. When we finally convince Fern to join us here at Corinth I fully expect Stonepeak to retaliate, most likely with their soldiers." I said.

The king frowned, nodding his head, "I see… hm, well we do have a small armed force, mostly remnants from the Palace Guard, though there are a few from the regular army… unfortunately our losses amongst our fighting men were almost total. Each one of these soldiers bears wounds, some more serious than others. At present we would be able to field perhaps half a hundred men, and even these would be walking wounded. Not only that but the men are dispirited, demoralised after such a catastrophic defeat."

"Then we need new recruits." I said, "We have to begin rebuilding our army so that we can defend ourselves against Stonepeak's brigands."

Lycomedes nodded, "We have enough iron ore to forge swords, shields and armour. I will send out an edict and round up however many skilled smiths we have left and set them to work straight away. I'll also send out word amongst the civilians that we are recruiting for the army again. I'll have some of the veterans assigned as instructors."

"That sounds like an excellent plan. It will take many months for the temple to be finished; by then he villagers of Fern should be ready to join us. When they do I hope that we will have a large enough army to fend off Stonepeak. I will aid you in whatever way I can." I said.

"Perhaps you could press Elessia into service?" Lycomedes suggested, "Just think of all the damage a giant wolf could do to our enemies! Not to mention the effect it would have on their morale! Why, just the sight of her might make that rabble rout and run for the hills!"

"Hm, I shall consult her about the matter." I said, "But I shall leave the decision to her."

"As you wish, Kyrel." Lycomedes said, "I shall begin writing up the edict now."

"Good, that is all I wished to talk about. I shall take my leave." I said to him, before releasing my hold on my mortal form once again and reverting to my symbol-form, I flew out of the mansion and went in search of my giant wolf.

* * *

><p>It had been several months since the Greek envoy had come to us with the offer of an alliance between my village and Corinth. In that time the men that I had sent there had reported that the Greeks had begun to build up a military force and that they had begun to build a large, lavish temple to their God, Kyrel. They had even told me that they had seen a man appearing and disappearing at will across the town, they even claimed to have seen him use supernatural powers to hasten the construction of the temple, causing wood to cut itself and fix itself to the building or stone to carve itself into blocks.<p>

I sighed as I read the latest report. These wild tales were growing more fantastical by the day, "I did not realise that whilst my men had been trading and spying on the Greeks that they had also been helping themselves to their mead and wine as well!" I snorted in disgust, "True Norsemen know not to drink so much on vital missions like these!"

"Peace Grandfather. They say that the Greeks were saved by their God… perhaps this mysterious man they keep reporting about is this Kyrel?" Said my granddaughter, Idonea.

I glanced at her, and I was again struck by her resemblance to her mother at her age; the same flowing locks of spun gold, the same brilliant sapphire eyes, the same pale skin like alabaster. At a mere seventeen years of age she was still yet to come into the full flower of her womanhood, but it was clear to me that she would be every bit as striking as her mother had been. I shook my head, dispelling these thoughts, "Do not be naïve Idonea, the Gods have long since abandoned this world; they are all fled or slain. No, these Greeks are lying about the re-emergence of their Kyrel. They seek to invoke his name to strike terror into the hearts of the Aztecs, for was not their God Kyrel the slayer of their lord of old?"

"You mean Nemesis?" She asked, "Do you really think this is some ruse then?"

"It must be." I said, "It is impossible for Kyrel to have returned… if he had come, where then is Khazar, lord of the ancestors of Japan? Or Lethys his sworn-foe? What of the other Deities? Wodin? Amon-Amun? Alfdis? What of Iduna, She of the Golden Lands or Set of the Red Desert?"

"The old tales say that Nemesis and his followers and vassals destroyed many of the Gods during the War… It is said that Kyrel was the last surviving Deity to oppose Him… These other Gods and Goddesses were slain, how then could they return?" Idonea said.

"Kyrel was killed as well!" I said hotly, "It is recorded by the ancients that when He united all of the peoples of the world under Himself and set about restoring the world after the ages-long War that the people grew contemptuous of Him and rose up against Him and cast Him down, breaking His power, destroying His Temples, slaying His Creature."

Idonea frowned, "Well… there is a simple way to prove whether o not the Greeks are in truth led by a God."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"I shall pray to this Kyrel. If he answers then it shall prove that He has returned, and if He really exists then we will have nothing to fear from Stonepeak if we join the Greeks; we will be under His protection." She answered.

"Hah! Pray all you wish to a dead God, shout His name to the Heavens and beg Him to appear to you; He can do nothing!" I said, shaking my head "You are young, Idonea, you do not yet understand the ways of the world. The days when prayers were answered and Gods aided men are long over, vanished into the mists of time. Pray from dawn until dusk; a dead God cannot answer your summons."

She glared at anger and indignation clear on her flushing face, "I'll show you Grandfather!" She said angrily, "You might be old and cynical, but I still have the faith that you seem to have lost! You forget the Prophecy!"

I laughed derisively, "The Prophecy? The Ancients suffered when Kyrel was destroyed, so they made up that nonsense to give themselves hope that they could one day gain the forgiveness of those they had deserted!"

"I'll prove you wrong!" She said, turning about and storming out of our house.

I sighed and shook my head, "Fool girl. When your prayers go unanswered, maybe then you will understand the wisdom of your Elders. You can't rely on myth and imaginings to help you!"

* * *

><p>I had been flying over Corinth, inspecting the new recruits that Lycomedes had managed to drum up with his proclamations and edits. They were outfitted in sparkling new armour, belted to one arm were round shields and at their sides were short-swords. Though they were few at present, I knew that once the Greeks had overtaken this Land that this fledgling force would become a mighty army, an invincible host with which I could smash aside the Aztecs.<p>

But as I was laying out plans in my mind's eye, forming strategies with which to subjugate the Land with my few troops, I was jolted from my contemplations by what can only be described as a metaphysical lightning bolt.

A Pure Prayer.

Never in all of my existence had I felt two Pure Prayers within a mortal generation, or, for that matter, more than once per each visit to Eden. Nor had any Deity I had ever met or heard tales of.

It…was… exquisite.

Pure Prayers hold far more belief, far more power than normal prayers. They are powerful enough to breach the barrier between the Mortal and Divine Realms, giving birth to new Gods or awakening those afflicted with the Sleep such as myself.

But this Pure Prayer was not directed outward, calling for any Deity it could reach for help, thereby leaving this realm and summoning another God, but instead it was focused. Directed. It was not a desperate plea, but a summons. A summons I could not help but answer.

The Pure Prayer drew me away, like a lodestone drawn to iron or a sailor adrift on the oceans seeking the North Star. Faith energy coursed through me, burning me with raw power in an odd, ecstatic agony. Before long I was flying across the Land, dimly I was aware that I was heading towards a small clearing in the forests beyond Fern.

When I finally arrived at the source of the Pure Prayer, a young Norse girl wearing the poor homespun garb of the peasantry, I could barely hold onto any rational thought. Here, at the epicentre of the Pure Prayer, the faith energy was too much for me to withstand.

Unlike the other Pure Prayers that I had felt, the power of which had dissipated as it crossed the infinites that lay between my realm and that of the mortals, this Pure Prayer's potency was not diminished in the slightest.

It was like comparing watching a star in the night-sky, a bright but small beacon, to standing a few feet away from a blazing sun.

And then, finally, it was over.

The ecstatic pain faded, the blinding brilliance that had clouded my mind dissipated and I could finally think clearly again.

The girl was kneeling on her knees, staring up at me with eyes of fascination, wonder and awe. For a second that didn't register in my still-muddled mind… and then, **You can see me. **

"Y-yes…I…I can." She said, "Are-are you Kyrel? The God of the Greeks?" She asked

**Yes, I am.** I said to her, **But… how can you see me? I am in my symbol-form; I am beyond Mortal comprehension, invisible to their eyes and their knowledge. How can you see me? Who are you?**

"My name is Idonea Alfrunsdaughter, and I am the granddaughter of the Chief Elder of the village of Fern, Einar Greybeard." She said, "I wanted to- ack!" Sage and Sin appeared over my 'shoulders' both looking slightly dazed.

"Woah Boss!" Sin exclaimed, "What. A. Rush!"

"That was… rather… alarming." Sage said, then he noticed Idonea, "I say, is that girl there the one from whom the Pure Prayer came?"

Idonea fell back, startled and shouted, "What are those!?"

That startled bth of them into silence. They stared at her aghast as she looked right at them. Right at them.

As if she could see them… no, it was impossible! Then again, if she could see my symbol-form…

**The old man on the cloud and the ugly demon?** I asked her.

"Hey!" Sin said, "I 'aint ugly!"

She nodded, unable to speak as she stared at them.

"Leader! She can see us! What do we do!?" Sage asked in panic.

"Smite her! Quick!" Sin said, "Lightning! Fire! Something!"

She blanched at that and made an odd 'eep' sort of sound and tried to get away.

**I'm not smiting her!** I snapped at the demon, simultaneously picking the girl up with my will to stop her running off, **You are frightening her Sin and if you don't stop I might try and smite you!**

The little demon glared at her, then me and shut his mouth. Sage floated closer to the girl and examined her, "Remarkable. A mortal that can see us… I never thought I'd see the day… I wonder how she does it?"

"I… I don't know, sir." He stuttered out fearfully, "I'm just a peasant girl."

Sage sighed, "I thought not. Ah well. Don't worry girl, I'll keep Sin on his leash." He gestured towards the sullen demon.

That seemed to reassure her somewhat and she asked, "So… what are you?"

"Ah, well… uh… My name is Sage; I am the 'good' half of Lord Kyrel's conscience. That rather irritable fellow over there is Sin, the 'evil' half. Together we advise Kyrel and help him to be the God he wishes to be, whether that is a good and benevolent God or an evil and malevolent one."

**Now that the introductions are over, perhaps you can tell me why you were praying so earnestly? **I asked.

"Oh! Yes! W-well, Your lordship, as I said I'm the granddaughter of the Chief Elder of Fern and he's been getting reports from his people that they've been seeing a mysterious man in the Greek town performing all sorts of miracles. Some of us thought it might be Yourself, but my grandfather doesn't think You exist… I wanted to prove to him that You do, so that he could join the Greeks and my village would be free from Stonepeak." She explained.

**I see,** I said, **Well then, it has long been my desire to have the good people of Fern freed from their predicament… very well, I shall visit your grandfather, perhaps when he knows that the Greeks are aided by a God he will lead his people to Corinth where I can protect them.**

"Oh thank you!" She said, "Maybe finally my people can be free!"

I let go of her, **Very well, return to Fern. I will come along when I am able and talk to your grandfather. **

The girl left, still smiling and thanking me profusely. Once she was gone I decided to head back to Corinth. On the way, Sage and Sin were hotly debating about what to do about this mysterious girl who could see them and a God in his symbol-form.

It turned out that it would not be until a few weeks later that I would again get the chance to return to Fern, but during those few weeks the town of Corinth grew rapidly and most of the city had been cleared of ruins and debris. Lycomedes had begun to furnish his mansion with furniture built by the town's carpenters, who were now free to turn to less vital arts now that the majority of the building work was done. The granaries overflowed with grain and the storehouse was full of stone and ore and wood.

Corinth had turned from a half-repaired ruin, sheltering desperate, starving refugees into a prosperous new town. The temple was almost finished and Danae seemed to be eager to start using it. Now that it was nearing Completetion, the true grandeur of the structure was very apparent.

Sitting on a hill overlooking the rest of the city, the temple was surrounded by a channel of water within which were statues on plinths and fountains. The temple itself was a large rectangular construction made of white marble with many graceful columns both within and without surmounted by a circular tower and a dome with an oculus at its apex, this massive circular chamber held the altar, behind the altar stood two enormous statues of Wolf Creatures, the left-hand one represented Isira and from her cupped hands water cascaded to fall into channels which surrounded he altar and flowed into the shape of my symbol on the floor before flowing into two large channels that flanked the wide marble steps at the entrance, these two channels in turn fed an outer moat in which were placed fountains and statues on plinths. The right-hand statue was of Elessia and in her hands was a blazing, smokeless fire that provided illumination to the temple at night. The flickering flames easily illuminated the masterful frescos and friezes that covered the walls and dome of the temple.

It was, without a doubt, a magnificent and truly awe-inspiring building, one that would serve as the centre of my religion for the foreseeable future.

Now that the Greeks had a small armed force, if only a hundred raw recruits, and a temple magnificent enough to entice the villagers of Fern to my worship I was ready to meet their Chief Elder and try to convince him to join with the Greeks.

* * *

><p>I drank deeply from the horn, the sweet taste of the mead giving me little comfort. I put it down again and sighed heavily, "You're sure?"<p>

"Unfortunately. What do we do Einar?" Asked my old friend, Asgeir Ironhelm.

"Well it was bound to happen sooner or later." I said, "The Greeks haven't exactly been very secretive about their arrival."

"You know that those thieves at Stonepeak will want to attack the Greeks and drive them away. They're too scared that the rumours might be true. That the Greek God has returned." Asgeir said.

"Bah! They're fools if they believe gossipmongers and old wives' tales." I replied, "Still the threat of Stonepeak's brigands is real enough. They'll want to occupy either Fallow or Fern and strike at Corinth from there."

"And who knows what liberty they'd take with the people?" He said, "They could trample the fields, steal the grain… harm the women."

"The Greeks have a small armed force." I said, "Perhaps… perhaps if the people of Fern and Fallow were to go to the city of Corinth and ask or asylum…"

"And if they fail to defeat Stonepeak? What then? If the Greeks are defeated then it would mean death for both our villages!" Said Asgeir with a shake of his head.

"The Greeks are under my protection. If you would join them in Corinth, I would protect you as well." Said a new voice, with the southern accent of the Greeks.

Asgeir and I both turned to see this stranger who had dared to intrude upon our meeting, "Who are you?" I asked.

The man was tall, much taller than any man I had seen. His skin was tanned, darkened by the southern sun perhaps, so that it almost seemed to glow, his eyes were as grey as the storm-tossed northern seas, and when he spoke again his voice resonated with power and authority, "I am Kyrel. In ancient times I fought alongside Khazar against Lethys and Nemesis and won, I forged anew the Creed and used its power to strike down Nemesis and heal the world of the many wounds the War of the Gods had inflicted upon it. They called me He Who Watches and He Who Rules. I have returned to find My Chosen People on the brink of annihilation and so I stretched out my hand and saved them and brought the to your Land… Now I ask that you and your people join us, join us against those that would harm us both and together, Norsemen and Greek, we may go forth and wrest control of the world from the Aztecs."

I stood up, glaring at the audacity of this arrogant wretch, how dare he pretend to be a God! How dare he presume to ask me to lead my people to war and ruin! "You call yourself a God!" I shouted, "One of those who saw men as naught more than tools and playthings! One of those creatures that reduced entire tribes and nations to ash and wrought havoc upon the world! You have the arrogance to believe that we will bow knee to you, a jumped-up trickster!? If you wished to awe me, or fill my belly with fear then you should not claim to be a thing I have no awe of, nor fear of!"

"You do not fear the Gods?" This 'Kyrel' asked, "You do not fear their power, their wrath?"

"Why would I fear myths and fables?" I sneered, "The Gods of old, if they ever existed, were no more than bullies who abused their power. I've known many bullies in my lifetime, and I have not yet met one that I could no defeat with sword and shield and good honest Norsemen!"

Then, the stranger laughed. Loud and long, grinning like an idiot, "Einar Greybeard, son of Ragnar Stonesmith, son of Agmund Rivenshield, you are a man that the Greeks sorely need, a rare man who knows no fear against a thousand insurmountable foes, a man who could win a hero's legacy for himself and his tribe!" 'Kyrel' nodded, "Yes, the Greeks would surely win their war if they had men such as you as allies… You say I am a charlatan? You say that the Gods were never real, or, that if they were, that they were all evil and cruel? Then it seems that I must persuade you of the truth of my claims."

Then the stranger did something… impossible.

He raised up his hand and said, "I am Kyrel, Lord God of the Greeks, Sword-Brother of Khazar, Blood-Enemy of Nemesis… by my command… be." He pointed his hand to the floor and closed his eyes.

Immediately there was a low rumble, wood groaned and the floor bulged up, the planks bent and warped and suddenly burst asunder in a shower of splinters and soil. In the crater of earth a small green shoot appeared, growing taller and thicker until a strong young sapling stood in the middle of the room. But it didn't stop there; the young tree kept growing larger and larger, thick roots smashed open more of the floor, the trunk was soon fur times as thick as a man with branches and boughs thicker than my wrist.

In short order most of my house was destroyed, but in its place was a fully mature oak tree of a size that even two hundred years of growth would be hard pressed to match. This had occurred in a matter of minutes.

As Asgeir and myself stared in wonder and shock at the tree, Kyrel smiled and gestured to it, "Is that proof enough of my claims?"

I fell to my knees before him an bowed my head in shame, and not a little fear, "O my God! I am unworthy to stand before Your magnificence!"

"There is no need of that, Einar Greybeard." He said gently, "Where is that fire? That fearlessness that so impressed me earlier?"

"How can I stand against You, who has such power?" I replied.

"I am not angry at your words earlier. For the most part they are true; many Gods turned to cruelty and malevolence during the War, some out of lust for power, others from the joys of torturing mortals, still others out of desperation, seeking by means of extortion and terror to gain enough power to stand against Nemesis and his followers… But not all. Some of my kind did not turn against mortals, some like myself wished to protect and preserve your kind. That has not changed. Einar Greybeard, Asgeir Ironhelm, both of you are leaders in the villages of this Land. I wish you to convince your people to come to Corinth, where they can be safe from Stonepeak and free of their levies and taxes. Together with the Greeks, we shall return peace to your Land."

"I am certain You will be able to protect my people, with Your guidance and help we may prosper as our forefathers once did. I, and the people of Fern, will join You and the Greeks. I will gather them ad leave at once!" I said, finally convinced that this Kyrel was a true, living God, one that would be able to protect my people.

Asgeir was hesitant however, "I have seen your power, but my people have not. It will take some time to convince them to come, but I will try."

"That is all I ask." Kyrel said.

Before anything more could be said, someone started banging on my door, as soon as I had opened it one of the young boys from the village rushed in a look of fear on his face, "Einar! Come quickly! A large group of soldiers from Stonepeak has arrived in Fallow! They've taken over the entire village!"

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><p><strong>AN **_This chapter is 13 pages long in Word, so it's a fair bit over my 10-page limit. Still, I'm rather happy with it, although I had hoped to be finished with the Second Land by now._

_Surprised that Einar's granddaughter could see Kyrel's symbol-form and his advisors? Me too! It was… inspiration I guess to put that in, so I'm not sure exactly were I'll take it just yet. _

_Once she gets to Corinth she'll probably be taken in as a priestess or something, and no doubt she'll come to the attention of Danae and Elessia… I wonder if our favourite wolf will tease Kyrel about finding _another_ attractive young priestess?_

_Of course she will!_

_Anyway, not much to say here except Read, Review and Enjoy! _


	6. Fallow Falls and a Father's Accusations

**A/N **_I didn't spend all that much time in Fallow, since it's not even a proper skirmish in the main game, but it is the first taste of combat in this story, (don't worry, if warfare's your thing there'll be plenty when it comes to the Norse and the Japanese) In actual fact I spent more time on the silver scroll 'paternity suit' mission than on Fern, since I quite enjoyed writing Kyrel's reactions to the accusations._

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Black & White; if I did they would have made a Black & White 3!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

_Fallow Falls And A Father's Accusation_

Almost as soon as the boy had stopped speaking Asgeir jumped up from his seat and ran towards the door, before he reached it however I had placed myself in front of it, barring the way, "Asgeir! No!" I said, "There's nothing you can do!"

"Like hell there isn't!" He shouted, "The people of Fallow are my responsibility! I can't sit here whilst they're in trouble!"

"If you go back there you'll be killed! Then what good will you be?" I shot back.

"What would you do if it was Fern and you where in my place, Einar?" He asked accusingly.

"I'd do exactly what you're trying to do now." I admitted, "And I'd be dead before sunset and Fern would be without its leader and Stonepeak would have its way with its people."

"Asgeir." Kyrel said gently, laying his hand on my irate friend's shoulder, "The people of Fallow are hardy, strong. They will be fine, they can hold on long enough for my people to come to their aid."

"The Greeks?" Asgeir said bitterly, "And what can they do? Those southern men have no backbone; they don't know how to fight, not like Norsemen! Even Stonepeak's band of cutthroats and thieves would easily overwhelm mere Greeks!"

"The Greeks are stronger than you think." Kyrel said, "I have half a hundred Greek soldiers ready to answer my call, how many men does Stonepeak lay claim to?"

"Well, they have thirty-six swordsmen patrolling the area around Stonepeak and Rockridge, and occasionally they venture as far as the flatland below the plateau on which Fallow stands. But we're fairly sure they have maybe twice that number that guard Stonepeak and Rockridge themselves." Asgeir said, "Fallow and Fern are small villages, we've never had enough young men capable of bearing arms in order to drive off Stonepeak's men."

"I have fifty swordsmen, raw recruits perhaps, but taught by the toughest and most experienced veterans of the Greek army, members of the Royal Guard and those strong enough to fight their way through Athera to join the rest of my people in flight." Kyrel said, "I doubt that Stonepeak would have sent their entire force of brigands to Fallow, so we'll send half that number to drive them out again!"

"Hm, bold words." I said, "But what about Fern? If you move against Stonepeak's forces at Fallow they're sure to send men to secure our village as well before moving to attack Corinth. You can't protect both villages at once."

"Then the people of Fern will have to flee." Kyrel said, "If they come to Corinth I can protect them, they will have food, shelter and safety. All I ask in return is that you help the Greeks. They are still few, still mourning their losses at Athera and the other cities… if your people could help work the fields, repair the ruins…"

In truth the offer was tempting; with a God protecting my people what did we have to fear from Stonepeak? But would my people go? Would they abandon their homes, the graves of their ancestors, to throw themselves on the mercy of the men of the south? "I…I'm not sure if my people would go."

"Then ask them. Gather the villagers together and warn them of what the Greeks are going to do, warn them of the danger and then tell them of our offer of sanctuary. Those who wish to go will be welcomed with open arms, but we will hold no grudge against those that choose to stay." Kyrel said.

I sighed and nodded, "I'll do that… it will be difficult, leaving this place. My daughter is buried here, as is her husband, not to mention my parents and another three generations of my ancestors."

Kyrel nodded, a sympathetic look on his face, "I understand. It was difficult for me, when I was driven from the village that first summoned me to your world. But if I had stayed then I would have been destroyed along with all of my tribe."

"We don't have much time." I said, turning to Asgeir, "We will have to lead the villagers to safety in Corinth, once there we can join with the Greek soldiers and go and liberate Fallow."

Asgeir nodded, sighing, he turned to Kyrel, "And what will you do?"

"I will return to Corinth and inform King Lycomedes of what has transpired, I'll convince him to send troops to help Fallow." The God said, "Once I've done that I will go and inform my Creature, Elessia. Perhaps she will consent to help you."

"What manner of Creature is this Elessia?" I asked, "Would it be up to the task?"

"_She_," He said sternly, "Is a giant wolf. More than sufficient, I would think, for dealing with a bunch of cutthroats and thieves."

I nodded, "Good. I suppose we have everything sorted out. I'll go tell the villagers and get them moving." I walked over to the door and opened it, leading Asgeir towards the village green so that together we could get the migration of Fern underway.

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><p>It had taken surprisingly little to convince Lycomedes to dispatch soldiers to liberate Fallow. I suspected that the King of the Grecian Empire was eager to give his young soldiers a bit of battle experience. Plus there was always the niggling fact that the 'Grecian Empire' was little more than a small city-state, hardly the grand territory that the name implied. <strong>I will have to take steps to curb Lycomedes' territorial ambitions.<strong> I thought, **If I can manage to negotiate an alliance with the Japanese and the Norse I want to make sure that their Lands and their armies remain as intact as possible. Half-dead allies are useless allies.**

"Bah! Why would you want an alliance with them Boss?" Sin asked, "Why not crush the Japanese Empire and the Norse Kingdoms, take over their Lands and then draw your army from the villages and cities you've conquered?"

"Because, Sin, war will inevitably mean the destruction of troops, resources and infrastructure that it would be best to capture intact for our fight against the Aztecs." Sage said, "Mines will be destroyed, fields put to the torch, cities laid to waste and people killed by the thousand! You can't raise an army of dead men, feed them without grain or arm them without ore from the mines!"

"Meh, I don't see a downside. So what if you destroy a few things or kill a few people? Where's the fun in a war without a little blood and mayhem?" Sin replied.

"For someone who loves war so much I'm surprised you've not read the Art of War by Sun Tzu." Sage said, "He says you should capture enemy troops and resources whenever possible and destroy as little as possible."

"He sounds boring." Sin said, "I don't care about tactics or strategy or any of that boring stuff. Give me blood guts and cold steel any day!"

Sage threw up his hands in disgust, "I give up!"

"Took you long enough!" Sin muttered.

**Quiet both of you.** I told them, **This is just killing a few poorly-trained, opportunistic brigands, hardly something worthy of a strategic debate. Save your Sun Tzu until we reach the Norse Homelands, not all of the Norse will be willing to bend knee to the Greeks.**

The two fell silent and vanished. Whilst they had been bickering I had been heading towards Fallow with the twenty-five Greek swordsmen that Lycomedes had dispatched to liberate the village. They had set off during the night before and now dawn was just peeking over the horizon. As we got closer to the settlement we saw that Stonepeak's pack of cutthroats had taken over the huts of the village and thrown the villagers out into the cold.

As near as we could tell, Stonepeak had sent twenty men to occupy Fallow.

I concentrated and in short order I was again within my mortal form, this time clad in armour that was polished to such an extent that it shone like a beacon, even with the poor light. At my side was strapped an ornate sword with my symbol etched into the blade, "I will lead the attack." I said, "We must be quick, kill the sentries before they can warn their compatriots in the huts. If all goes well we can take the settlement before they can muster any kind of serious defence."

The captain nodded, "Agreed. I'll tell the men to cover their armour and weapons to dull the noise and stop any reflections from giving us away."

Once the soldiers had finished wrapping their armour and weapons all twenty-six of us advanced slowly, cautiously on the still-sleeping village. Twenty painfully slow minutes later we reached the edge of the village without being spotted. I raised my hand and my troops stopped creeping forward. I examined the sleeping village for a few tense seconds, counting the sentries; with a few hand signals my troops placed themselves ready to attack each sentry.

I clenched my hand and all hell broke loose.

We all stood and ran at the sentries, cutting them down before they could give the alarm, unfortunately one of the enemy soldiers had just come out of the huts and had spotted our attack and began shouting his head off. It only took me a few seconds to stride the distance to the soldier; I cut him down with a vicious blow to his chest before he could raise his guard properly, causing a bright fountain of red to bust from his chest and mouth.

Even as he fell lifelessly to the dirt I knew I had been too late. His cry had alerted the other Stonepeak soldiers and they had all rushed out of the huts wielding swords, clubs and axes. They charged my men with a roar.

I moved on instinct and easily parried a clumsy overhand blow that one of the ruffians had aimed at me. It was laughably easy to disarm the man, literally, as my sword bit through flesh and bone to hack off his arm in one clean strike. As he fell, screaming and clutching the stump of his arm, I ended his suffering with a merciful blow to his neck, taking his head with a singe stroke of my bloodstained sword.

I turned to find another foe, the shouts and cries of battle invigorating me with a burning bloodlust. Something I had not felt for countless ages. It was liberating in a way; the terror of my enemies and their agonies before the merciful void of death claimed them evoked old memories and ancient, long buried feelings and desires. Echoed in their fear and pain were the savage joys I had experienced during my wrathful slaughtering of Lethys' followers.

It was some time until the red haze lifted as the last, broken Norsemen fled for their lives from the blood-soaked village of Fallow. I suddenly felt very tired, as if some crazed demon had possessed me during the battle and at its leaving it had taken with it all of the energy and ecstasy the bloodbath had given me. The sight of my dripping sword and gore-splashed armour sickened me to my stomach and I had to force myself not to retch.

I looked about and saw that the losses on my side had been light indeed; not one of my soldiers were dead, though a few bore wounds which I could heal once we returned to Corinth and I regained my strength. The villagers of Fallow were gone; they must have fled as soon as the battle had started. I would have to withdraw the troops and give them time to return… perhaps their Chieftain, Asgeir, would be able to gather them back together and lead them to Corinth.

But right now, all I wanted to do was throw away my sword and sleep. I hadn't even realised it was possible for a God to feel tired. It was probably because I was so far from my worshippers.

One of my soldiers, a young lad of maybe eighteen or nineteen walked over to me, his sword crusted with drying blood. He seemed t move as if in a trance; the shock hadn't quite hit him yet, the shock that he was still alive, the shock of killing another man. **A few more battles will toughen him up. **I thought grimly, **There will be more bloodshed before this is over. **As he came closer I put my hand on his shoulder, he flinched violently, suddenly awakening from his trance, "You did well." I said gently, "Remember; these men were your enemies, they would have come to Corinth next. They would have been no better to the people there than the Aztecs were at Athera."

The youth's expression turned from one of confused guilt to one of such loathing and hatred that I took a step back in shock, "I know." He said coldly, "They deserved to die!"

"These men had friends, family." I reminded him, "They did not deserve to die."

He shook his head, "No! You said it yourself; if they had come to Corinth they would have been no better than the Aztecs! I'd kill all of the if it meant stopping something like Athera happening again!"

I nodded, sighing, "You…lost someone?"

"My parents and one of my sisters." He said, "The…The Aztecs, they…they weren't… The things I watched them do to my mother and sister before they killed them…. Before they butchered them like animals. I won't ever let that happen again, to anybody!"

**I suppose most of my troops will have stories like this.** I thought sadly, **I had better be careful they do not become crazed fanatics, searching for vengeance and slaughtering whoever comes into their path like the Aztecs.** Aloud I said, "I am here now, and I give you my word that no matter what happens, I will never allow Athera to repeat itself." The boy nodded but didn't speak. I gestured to his sword, "You should clean your weapons and your armour, then we shall bury the dead."

"None of ours were killed." He said.

"I know, I was referring to the Norse soldiers we killed here today; they may have been our enemies but we must still treat them with honour and respect." I told him, "It is not the Greek way to leave the dead to the carrion birds. If we dd that, we would be no better than the Aztecs." That seemed to forestall any protests he might have made. The boy nodded and went to relay my orders to the rest of the men. Once he was gone I walked over to the captain and said, "Once the men have cleaned their armour and weapons and have treated their wounds and buried the dead Norsemen I want you to return to Corinth."

He saluted me, "Yes, Lord."

"Chieftain Asgeir should come along shortly with a small group of men, tell him that you've defeated Stonepeak's men and that as soon as his people return they are o make their way to Corinth."

"I understand." He told me, "We'll head back as soon as the village is secured."

Now that the business of Fallow was finished I released my hold on my mortal form and reverted back to my symbol-form, I began the return journey to Corinth.

* * *

><p>I sighed in exasperation, trying to keep my growing temper in check, "So what exactly is this complaint then?" I asked the wrathful man in font of me.<p>

The man, who had barged into the new temple and actually _demanded _to see Kyrel with an expression of thunderous rage on his face, had been shouting and cursing at the poor temple priests for over an hour now, forcing me to intervene directly. Now he was obstinately refusing to tell me why he'd come or why he was so mad, "I'm not speaking to another one of you be-robed lackeys!" He shouted, "I demanded to see your God this instant! Not his sanctimonious, jumped-up bimbo!"

That did it. "How dare you speak to me like that!" He snapped at him, drawing myself up to my full height and glaring at him, "I am High Priestess of The Faith! I am the mortal leader of Kyrel's Faithful and I will not be insulted in such a manner! Especially not from a man who refuses to be reasonable or tell me why the hell he's so damned angry in the first place!"

Before the man could stop spluttering long enough to retort, we were both startled by a loud voice, echoing throughout the temple, _**What is going on here? **_

We both turned towards the altar where Kyrel in his mortal form was stood, an irritated look on his face, before the God could speak the man marched up to him and, careless of the consequences, he did the most arrogant and stupid thing I have ever seen a man do; he invaded my God's personal space, poked him in the chest and began hurling insults right into his face!

I stared aghast as Kyrel's expression went from confusion, to shock to anger. At the height of the man's tirade Kyrel snapped. His voice was like a force of nature; it could be likened to thunder or the crashing of waves upon the shore and it seemed as if the entire temple shuddered in fear, "_**SILENCE! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THUS, MORTAL?!"**_

The man was so frightened that he fell over and lay there, sprawled on his back. Kyrel raised his hand and the man was lifted off of the ground, he hung there in mid-air as Kyrel's eyes flashed angrily, like lightning. Kyrel twisted his hand so that the man was trapped, floating so that their eyes were level, when he next spoke Kyrel's voice was quieter, more controlled, "What grievance do you hold against me, that you would speak so rudely to those who are my representatives to mortals and to your God?" The man seemed to be scared out of his wits; he just hung there, trembling and pale. Kyrel quickly lost patience with him, "_**Speak!**_"

"You got my daughter pregnant!" The man shouted at the top of his lungs, his tone an odd mix of terror and fatherly indignation.

The words seemed to echo in the cavernous room. No one dared make a sound as the full meaning of what the man had said sank in. Inexplicably the first emotion I felt once I'd realised what he'd said was a surge of jealousy. I fought down the unexpected emotion and I felt my face flush with a bright blush. Kyrel seemed to be too shocked at the man's statement to think up a response. His mouth was opening and closing as he tried to think of something to say.

Suddenly his attention was drawn to a spot over to the left and a deep blush covered his face, "Sin!" He snapped, "Shut up before I shut you up!" He then looked to his right and said, "Sage, deal with him." He then looked at the slightly confused mortal in front of hm, "I have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"My daughter has fallen pregnant, but she says no man has touched her! That means it's an immaculate conception! Since you're the only God around it must be your fault!" The main explained, "And since the child's yours I expect you to provide for it! I want a dowry! No man will marry her now that she's with child out of wedlock, so I want a dowry of one thousand planks of wood."

"One thousand!" Kyrel gasped, "What the heck are you going to do with all of that?"

A startled look crossed the man's face, "I…I don't know! Something important I expect! Maybe build an extension to the house for my daughter and your child."

"The child's not mine!" He protested hotly, "I've never… I haven't…" He seemed at a loss for what to say, "She's lying! She's obviously got some lover or other!"

"How dare you call my daughter a liar!" The man said, "If you're trying to imply that my daughter is a girl of… of… easy virtue then I won't hear of it! Give me my dowry or I'll… I'll tell everyone what you're like! No one will worship a God like you!"

"I'll prove it!" Kyrel snapped, and then he turned to me, "Danae! Find this girl! Have her brought here!"

"How am I supposed to find her!?" I asked, "Corinth's not exactly a small town!"

He looked annoyed, "I don't know! Improvise!"

"It's times like these I wish you really were omniscient!" I said.

"Would you really want me to know everything about you? All of your embarrassing secrets? Your innermost, private thoughts?" He asked. I blushed brightly thinking about what he would learn if he ever listened in to some of my thoughts. He grinned at my flame-hued face and said, "I thought not."

"I'll…I'll go and find the girl." I said, more as an excuse to escape more embarrassment than anything else.

Kyrel nodded, "Good. Whilst you're doing that I'm going to search Corinth myself. Between the two of us she should be found in no time." He turned to the other temple priests, "Keep this man here until we return, and if word of this… incident gets out I will hold each of you personally responsible, understood?" The priests made varying gestures and noises of assent, most of them too scared to formulate anything close to resembling a coherent sentence. Satisfied, Kyrel turned back to the man, "So, what's your daughter's name?"

"Leda" He said, "Leda Swansong."

"Of course it is…" Kyrel muttered, shaking his head. The man shot him a confused look and Kyrel sighed, "It's a God thing."

"I'll start looking." I told him, "There can't be many pregnant Leda Swansongs waddling about."

Despite her unusual name and her rather obvious condition, it took me quite some time to locate Leda. Most of the people I asked purposely lied about her and set me running around half of the town on a wild goose chase, or swan-chase in this case. By the time I'd finally found her it became apparent that most of Corinth knew the little… promiscuous girl… had managed to get herself pregnant by one of her many, many secret lovers. Everyone, of course, but her father.

I had been wandering down a side street when I'd spotted a pregnant girl matching Leda's description failing rather miserably at sneaking into the backdoor of a villa near the edge of the city. Since her house had been the first place I had searched it was obvious that if this was Leda she was trying to hide from her father. She must have realised he had run off to the temple after her little lie. However I needed more than a hunch before I went back to Kyrel so I sneaked in after waiting a few minutes and got an eyeful, or more appropriately an earful, of exactly why she'd visited this particular villa.

To say that I was embarrassed would be an understatement. I was half-convinced that my face was on fire after I heard half of the things those two were saying to each other amidst their… activities. I fled the house as quickly and quietly as possible and stood outside taking deep breaths and trying to fight down my embarrassment enough to think up a proper prayer, but try as I might I couldn't think of our to word what I was going to tell Kyrel, in the end I whispered, "Kyrel, I've found her… and she's…uh… kind of… ahem… in a compromising position with her lover at the moment. I think now would be the perfect time to show her father the… evidence of your innocence, and the lack of innocence of his own progeny."

A surprisingly short time later Kyrel appeared, holding the girl's father with a vice-like grip. As soon as he let go the man staggered forward as if he was drunk and vomited quite violently. Kyrel wrinkled his nose and took a further step away, "Hmph, mortals, no stomach for instantaneous translocation." He sighed and straightened the pale and shaking man and said, "It's only teleportation sickness, get a grip!"

He finally seemed to stop shaking and said, "That…was…awful."

"I brought you here for something important. You say I am the father of your daughter's child? Go inside that house there and see for yourself that your daughter is far from a virginal maiden." Kyrel said, pointing to the villa I'd exited minutes before.

With a disbelieving snort the man marched up to the house and yanked the door open. Both Kyrel and myself waited outside patiently. We didn't have to wait long.

The shouting was loud, long and filled with curses and threats that a lady wouldn't dare repeat in anything close to polite company… in fact I'm fairly certain even the more vulgar portions of denizens of the seedier portions of town would balk at what this man was saying. I'm fairly certain a few of his more graphic threats are anatomically impossible.

By the end of his tirade he'd dragged his daughter out of the house, Leda herself was crying by the he'd brought her in front of Kyrel, "This is the God I very nearly got smote by thanks to your lies!" He snapped at her.

At this she stopped crying and stared up at Kyrel in shock and horror. For a long moment nothing was said and then; "I…I'm s-sorry." She said pathetically, "I was so scared about dad finding out… I… It was the only thing I could think of to tell him… I didn't think you were... you know… real."

Kyrel frowned, a stern look on his face, "So, not only did you lie about me, tarnishing my reputation, but you're not even a believer!" He shook his head, "If you weren't with child I'd smite you were you stand for this!"

The girl paled and her eyes widened in horror, "P-please! I'm... not worth smiting! I won't lie again!"

The girl's father interceded, "I'm sorry for what my daughter has done… and for falsely accusing you… I promise to raise the child faithful and true to you! But please; I know what she did was wrong but she's my only daughter…"

Kyrel nodded, "Very well… I won't punish her."

"Oh thank you Lord!" The girl said.

Kyrel raised his hand, "However… reparations must be made. As soon as the child comes of age he, or she, must enter into my service for as long as I see fit. Since your family are farmers I further want you to pay me compensation in the form of one thousand bushels of wheat from your next harvest."

The father paled at the outrageous amount; that was most of the output of his farm taken by Kyrel, however he didn't seem to be willing to find out what Kyrel might do if he refused, and so he said, "You are most merciful, Lord. One thousand bushels of wheat will be delivered to Your temple at the next harvest, you have my word on that!"

"Give it to the city of Corinth instead." Kyrel said, "I myself have little use for grain, so I may as well gift it to people who have need of it."

The man nodded, "Of course Sire, I'll do that."

Kyrel nodded, "Good. Then this is the end of the matter." He turned to me, "Let us head back to the temple Danae."

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><p>By the time we'd reached the temple it was nearing sunset, we hadn't talked about anything of particular importance during the walk; instead we'd contented ourselves with inconsequential nothings and companionable silences. Neither of us, I think, wanted to drag up the embarrassing affair we'd be embroiled in earlier, nor was I particularly keen on trying to figure out how to defeat the vast Aztec warmachine. Eventually Danae stopped just before the wide, sweeping steps that led to the temple's grandiose entrance and said, "That was… enjoyable. Just… talking and not planning temples or running from slavering, howling barbarians."<p>

I managed a wry smile; "I'm hoping there won't be too many barbaric hordes chasing me from now on. That lot at Athera were enough for several lifetimes, thank you." I hesitated before asking a question that had been in the back of my mind for some time, "Danae, at Athera… did you have any family? Friends?"

She looked away from me, sighing heavily, "No, not at Athera. I was the youngest daughter of a minor border lord. The one least likely to be married." She shook her head, glancing at me, "So they decided to send me to Athera to enter the Priesthood. They figured having a priestess daughter was better than putting up with a spinster."

"Spinster!?" I asked, startled, "I can hardy imagine any sane man giving up the chance to court you!"

She blushed at that and looked away again, "Thank you but… maybe I might be pretty enough to be some nobleman's third son's wife, but my father wasn't exactly a very important member of the nobility and because of certain… political realities it was very unlikely anyone would have taken me." She shrugged, "To be honest I didn't mind them sending me off to the Temple. I've always had a… fascination with religion, myth, and the old tales. As a little girl I'd often imagined what it would be like to live in the old days, the days of Gods and magic and legends…"

I snorted, "In the 'good old days' you'd be huddled around a fire in some poor hut, praying for all you were worth that some random Deity wouldn't take offence at the existence of your tribe and wipe you out."

She glared at me, "Thanks for ruining my childhood fantasies!"

I smirked at her; "Then again my memories are rather biased against that time, so maybe there were a few heroes and legends running about. The others did like to run you mortals about for their own amusement on occasion." I chuckled, "I remember this one time Lethys sent this man on a white stallion with some miracle-infused armour and weaponry on a 'holy quest' to slay Isira. The poor fool thought the amour could protect him. She ate his horse, peeled his armour off like he was a banana and tossed him into the village latrine from six hundred paces."

Danae choked back a laugh and gave me a scandalised look, "No! That's not what I remember happening in the Book of Histories!"

"My dear Danae, who are you going to believe, a mere book or the God that it's about?" I asked her.

She pouted, "So, there wasn't a fierce battle, a clash between the champions of two Gods locked in mortal combat? No fire? No lightning?"

"You sound just like Sin." I said with a shake of my head, "I didn't know mortal women could be so bloodthirsty."

"Bloodthirsty? A delicate flower such as myself?" She seemed shocked at the idea.

"Delicate flower, hm?" I asked her sceptically.

She glared at me angrily, "Yes."

I held up my hands in supplication, "Of course, Danae, as delicate as moonspun glass."

"Moon what?"

"Uh…a sort of… um… it's a God thing." I said, "Gods have a tendency to invent all sorts of weird and wacky alloys, materials and such for no good reason. I think, maybe, it's on the off chance that someone figures out something useful. Like an indestructible but flexible and lightweight metal for armour or something. Then again it could just be all of the other Gods loved bragging about having Temples made of impossible substances."

She sighed and shook her head, "Why have I got the feeling that half of everything you say will be utter nonsense?"

I grinned at that, "If Gods actually said stuff that made sense no one would listen to us. Besides, if I took everything seriously I'd go mad… and then where would you be?"

"Probably beating sense back into you." She said with a smile.

"Danae, I think you're the only mortal that I think might actually be capable of that." I said, half-seriously.

She chuckled and shook her head, "Good night, Kyrel." She turned around and ascended the marble steps of the temple.

I watched her leave and smiled to myself, "Good night Danae." I muttered to myself.

Before I'd even got the chance to change back to my symbol-form, Elessia's thoughts intruded upon my own, **Hey, Lover Boy, I think she likes you.**

**Elessia… shut up.**

I could feel her smirking, **I feel it is my duty to inform you, as your Creature, that fraternising with mortal women isn't considered to be the sort of thing a 'pure' God should do. In fact I'm pretty sure it breaks some kind of law somewhere.**

**What I choose to do, or not do, with my spare time is none of your damned business.**

**Of course not, Kyrel, however I might like to point out that since you've never even remotely had anything to do with the fairer sex up until now that you at least attempt to avoid making a complete and total fool of yourself.**

**I am not pursuing Danae. **I growled mentally, irritation rising.

**Is that why every time I've talked to you I've sensed thought of her at the back of your mind?**

**No.** I said flatly, **I've been thinking of what to do with the Priesthood. Naturally that means thinking about the girl I've assigned to be their leader.**

**Right…sure… By the way, I suggest flowers, and chocolate. And avoiding that Idonea girl when you're with Danae… she might be the jealous type.**

**Of all the Creatures in Eden… why in the name of the Heavens did I have to pick you?**

**Because I'm smart, athletic, deadly in close quarters and most definitely the most attractive female wolf this side of the Ether. **Elessia said.

**Not to mention the most damned annoying. **I shot back.

**Next time you have that attitude I might 'accidentally' eat one of your favourite mortals.** She said. I could imagine the toothy grin she must be wearing.

**If you touch a single hair on her head Elessia I'll-**

_**Her**_**, Kyrel?** She asked smugly.

The last thing I managed to say to her with any degree of coherence was a long string of expletives and obscenities, in several languages.

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><p><strong>AN **_I know that chapter ended a little too similarly to the Chapter 4, but I wanted to give Elessia more than a cursory mention. I'm reasonably confident that next chapter will be the one where we finally leave Land Two and finally start the proper storyline, starting with the Norse Homeland. If anyone has any suggestions for the Wolf Creature the Norse use, that would be welcome. This wolf will be male, and I'm hoping to use him to give Elessia more scenes. My younger brother has already offered a few suggestions for what I'll be doing with him… a few of them I might actually use._

_Anyway, Read, Review and Enjoy! _


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